Pedestrian access and crosswalk closing map for the City Hall Phase 2 renovations and construction.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo.
CHICOPEE — Chicopee announced the beginning of construction on the second phase of improvements to Chicopee City Hall and City Hall Annex are set to begin and construction activities will cause for a temporary access plan.
Construction is expected to be ongoing for the next 36 months and will result in temporary impacts on pedestrian circulation surrounding the buildings on Springfield and Front streets.
Sidewalks adjacent to the buildings on these streets will be closed for the duration of construction activities. Temporary routes have been identified to ensure continued access for pedestrians, who are navigating access to City Hall and broader connections throughout Chicopee Center.
Mayor John Vieau talked about the need to let the community know about the construction and stated, “This plan is being shared with the community to ensure that residents and visitors to Chicopee Center and City Hall are aware of these temporary measures to ensure public safety during construction. The city recognizes that construction can be disruptive, and our team is working diligently to minimize and plan accordingly for such disruptions.”
Accessible parking and walkways to the City Hall main entrance on Front Street will remain available in the City Hall parking lot on Front Street.
The construction zones, public parking, and temporary pedestrian access routes are identified on the city’s website at chicopeema.gov.
The City Facilities Department and Department of Planning & Development will oversee this construction project for its duration.
Updates and further information will be provided as new information becomes available.
Vieau and the City Council hosted a special meeting in August 2024 to discuss funding for City Hall Phase 2 renovations.
Chicopee has been working on modernizing City Hall through two phases of renovation.
Vieau shared that from 1980 to 2014, there had not been any capital improvements done to City Hall which led to fixing structural problems during Phase 1.
A historic structures report was conducted in April 2016 and recommended multi-phase improvements to the auditorium, City Hall exterior, annex exterior, reprogramming, interior renovations, sitework, elevator modernization and long-term maintenance.
Phase 1 renovations included an array of interior and exterior repairs such as efforts to repair damage to the City Hall Annex, solidify foundational repairs, improve the building’s installation, replace HVAC equipment and modernize the building for accessibility purposes.
The city also underwent extensive repairs to City Hall’s famed clock tower.
The city also remodeled its central auditorium with new flooring, a completely redesigned ceiling, stain glass windows and technological tools for filming meetings.
The focus of Phase 2 is on interior improvements, such as remodeled office suites, enhanced security and technology services and renovations to the City Council’s chamber on the fourth floor.
Facilities Director Dave Rice explained some of the major deficiencies in the building including an aged and difficult generator, deteriorating wallpaper, walls and floors/carpet from water damage, a non-operational ADA complaint vertical lift, the rise of the stairs and electrical issues.
The scope for Phase 2 includes reconfiguration and renovation of office suites, ADA accessible upgrades, hazardous materials abatement, emergency generator replacement, new IT data server room and AV systems, complete electrical system replacement, mechanical systems update, building security and access systems, foundations waterproofing, interior finishes and secure, high-density file storage.
City Planner Lee Pouliot said the office suites renovations will be split into phases because the complex will not be vacated during construction.
At the August 2024 City Council meeting, the council approved two orders from the mayor, one for a City Hall Phase 2 bond authorization and another for a $4 million cash appropriation to capital projects special account.
Vieau said the finance team met multiple times to figure out the impact this project would have on Chicopee and said at the time, the city had “roughly” $21 million in the stabilization account and the city is in good financial shape.
He added, “We’re in excellent financial shape. This would not impact our bond rating and the financial team felt comfortable with this. The goal is to find creative ways, those are very conservative numbers, to reduce them. Possibilities of potentially using the central library space to enhance the timeframe could be a substantially savings and we will aggressively be looking for grant opportunities over the next few years.”
There are also other ways the city can save money as the project gets started and completed.
Vieau said, “There’s also going to be some savings to the taxpayer. It sounds like a lot of money but think about all the lighting being replaced with LEDs which are much more efficient. Looking at the HVAC systems being upgraded so they’re much more efficient. Public safety is paramount to the city of Chicopee and our success, and I do believe we need a little more than what we have.”
