May

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced today that the Construction Manager at Risk (CMR) Selection Committee of the Springfield Redevelopment Authority (SRA) has chosen Daniel O'Connell's Sons as the CMR for the Union Station Regional Intermodal Transportation Center. Contract negotiations are now under way.

“Involvement of a CMR in the preconstruction period will provide the SRA and its designer with construction expertise critical to successful completion of the project. Union Station's redevelopment is crucial to the continued revitalization of the City of Springfield and our goal is to transform this long-vacant property into a sustainable transportation facility bolstering downtown redevelopment efforts," said Sarno.

When completed, the historic downtown station will be transformed into the region's main transportation hub. It will provide connections for the continuation and expansion of services, including local, regional and intercity buses; Amtrak, commuter and high-speed passenger rail; and other ground-transportation services.

"As an enthusiastic supporter of the Union Station renovation project, I am very pleased that Daniel O'Connell's Sons has been chosen as CMR. They have a reputation as one of the region's most accomplished builders, and their work on the new U.S. Courthouse on State Street speaks for itself. Under their leadership, I am certain that the City of Springfield will have another award winning building downtown very soon," said Congressman Richard E. Neal.

On July 20, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Raymond LaHood visited Springfield to announce a $17.6 million Bus Liveability grant for the project, the largest such grant in this funding cycle in the nation.

A $45 million Phase I project will integrate Amtrak intercity rail, planned commuter rail to Connecticut, PVTA bus and Peter Pan intercity bus services at a single location with convenient pedestrian access and ample parking.

Project design is under way and construction is scheduled to begin by late fall, with completion expected by mid-2014. The project is expected to involve an early construction package for site work and demolition.

Under the CMR project delivery method, a firm is selected during the design process based on both qualifications and price to provide preconstruction services and then becomes the general contractor for the project.

The SRA is using the CMR method for delivery of Union Station and the City has used it on numerous school building projects. The CMR method entails a commitment by the contractor to deliver the project within a guaranteed maximum price.

The SRA received seven submissions for the Union Station project and interviewed four short-listed firms. Daniel O'Connell's Sons, based in Holyoke, submitted the winning proposal to provide preconstruction services, planning and construction management services, including solicitation of bids from subcontractors.

The bidding process for subcontractors is expected to take place in late 2012, with prequalification preceding that.

In business since 1879, Daniel O'Connell's Sons offers clients construction management and project planning services. The firm is uniquely focused on planning and implementing challenging projects -- ones that are technically complex or require exceptional engineering or management expertise.

“Daniel O’Connell’s Sons is very pleased to be a part of the project team completing the rehabilitation of Union Station,” stated Tom Walsh, Director of Business Development for Daniel O’Connell’s Sons. “As a local contractor we fully appreciate the importance of the project to the region and to the City of Springfield. This project will provide many good paying jobs during construction and once complete will help to revitalize the northern blocks of Springfield. We are looking forward to starting the construction planning process in the next few weeks.”

The Union Station project will incorporate forward-thinking elements of sustainable design and is being designed to qualify for a LEED Silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.