×
×
homepage logo
LOGIN
SUBSCRIBE

PAC architect hired for $1.3M

By Adam Urquhart - Staff Writer | Jan 23, 2019

Nashua Director of Economic Development Tim Cummings points toward a presentation during the Tuesday Board of Aldermen meeting.

NASHUA – The downtown performing arts center is one step closer to opening in the former Alec’s Shoes building, as Board of Aldermen members on Tuesday agreed to pay an architecture firm $1.3 million.

During the regular board meeting that followed a presentation on the center by Director of Economic Development Tim Cummings, Alderman Michael O’Brien made a motion to award a contract to ICON Architecture Inc. in the amount not to exceed $1.35 million. Board members were unanimously in favor of that motion, and it carried.

“Architecture and construction manager contracts were recently approved by the Finance Committee,” Cummings said during his presentation. “We awarded Harvey Construction for the construction management and then ICON in partnership with OTJ (Architects) as our architecture team for the design.”

During the Jan. 16 Finance Committee meeting, officials supported spending funds for architectural services and for construction services. Cummings clarified those sums of money during his Tuesday presentation, saying the construction manager would receive $400,000 and the architectural design would cost $1.3 million.

“The Performing Arts Center Steering Committee made a decision, I would say the end of last year, early December, to pursue ICON and OTJ as the designers because they were very impressed with the concept plan and the work that they did during the (request for quotation) process,” Cummings said. “What they presented to the group, and the direction folks want to go in, was very unique and novel and I believe hit the right note in every way with all the priorities of the Steering Committee.”

Cummings said the center will be designed with the idea of having the theater on the first floor. He also said there was discussion about understanding what the feel of the center will be and what materials will be used in construction. He said a different feel is achieved using materials such as wood versus more processed types of materials. That discussion spoke to the question of what officials are trying to achieve in this space in terms of the consumers’ experience.

“That’s an ongoing conversation right now,” Cummings said. “We understand that it’s limited by budget. This will be designed to a budget, but what themes or what materials or elements are used and how they’re used and placed is a conversation that is occurring over the next few weeks.”

Cummings said that ideally, if the city is successful in raising the required $4 million with non-city money, that work could begin as early as late summer. He said construction would really start as much as possible in late fall or early. Construction is tentatively scheduled to be complete by early 2021.

Adam Urquhart may be contacted at 594-1206, or at aurquhart@nashuatelegraph.com.

Newsletter

Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter.

Interests
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *