Local News
Construction bids sought for Amesbury bus station
$8.6 million project expected to start in spring
AMESBURY — More than eight years after a transportation center in downtown Amesbury was first proposed by town leaders, the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority is now seeking bidders ready and able to complete the $8.6 million project.
The 10,000-square-foot facility was advertised for bid on the state's central register on Dec. 30, with a call to contractors to submit pricing by March 12. And despite the long wait, local and state officials are excited to be planning an official groundbreaking on the Elm Street center this spring.
"With hard work, persistence and cooperation from all of the interested parties, we were able to bring this project from the design phase into the construction phase," said state Rep. Mike Costello, D-Newburyport, in a written statement yesterday. "The transportation center will be an economic boon for Amesbury, creating new opportunities for businesses and new jobs."
The center will be named for his father, Nicholas Costello, the first mayor of Amesbury and a former state senator and representative.
The construction phase alone is expected to create 125 construction jobs, according to data provided by state and town officials. After constructions starts in the spring, the work is expected to be complete in 18 months.
When it's unveiled to the community in summer 2011, Amesbury will have a new building and home for Amesbury's Senior Center and a new set of offices for the Health and Human Services Department, which will include space for the Veteran Affairs agent, Youth Services, and the town's health nurse, Mayor Thatcher Kezer said.
"There are folks who are looking forward to a new building," said Kezer of the seniors who would get a new center. "One of the key factors is that it's going to be fully accessible and meet all the current codes for access, and secondly, it's going to offer more space and better designed space for all the programs that they run."
Senior citizens who live within walking distance of the new senior headquarters will be able to cross Elm Street to access the center, taking advantage of a new pedestrian crosswalk on Elm Street that will make it safe to travel to and from the building, Kezer said.
"It will be situated in a location where there's enough distance between that curve and where the crosswalk is," said Kezer, who surmised the crosswalk and a new stoplight will be just after Drew's Tire as one heads into the downtown.
Other senior-friendly features will be included, as well.
"It's going to have an elevator in it so moving down to the first and second floor will be easier," Kezer said.
Other features
Besides offering a hub for bus travelers, the new transportation center will also boast a large meeting room capable of accommodating up to 150 people and will offer a smaller committee-sized meeting space as well, said Kezer, who was joined yesterday by state Sen. Steve Baddour, D-Methuen, in lauding the construction phase of this development.
"When completed, it will serve as a vital transportation hub for the region," Baddour said. "In the process, we will be providing much-needed space for the senior citizens in Amesbury."
Kezer credits Baddour and Costello for helping to obtain match funding from the state to get the project moving after funds were first allocated from the federal government. And he gives special recognition to Congressman John Tierney, who obtained the lion's share of the federally sponsored funds.
Kezer said the delays at different stages of the design and funding phases of this project were mitigated only by a lot of hard work and diligence on the part of many people involved.
"Public construction in Massachusetts is a perilous course on any project," Kezer said.
Currently, Amesbury's contribution is a gift of land for use as the center's parking lot. The state is coming up with $800,000, and the federal government with nearly $5 million. Federal stimulus money is expected to amount to about $2 million.
With $700 million to spend on highway projects in the state, the transportation center is among only one of five highway projects in the Merrimack Valley to be awarded stimulus funding in two rounds of disbursements by the state.
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Waves, rescues surge
SALISBURY BEACH — There has been little downtime for Salisbury Beach lifeguards over the past few days, as massive waves have led to frequent rescues and injuries to beach-goers.
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Tuesday set a notable record: Lifeguards conducted at least 18 rescues, about half of all the rescues they have conducted this summer. Lifeguard supervisor George Nigro said a combination of warm water, hot temperatures, high surf and a high volume of swimmers led to the busy day. -
MEMA: Earl's impacts still unclear
NEWBURYPORT — As Hurricane Earl spun toward North Carolina's Outer Banks, local officials were preparing for the worst yesterday, though forecasters continued to expect the storm to veer to the northeast sometime today.
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Chief: Flaggers 'not a good arrangement'
AMESBURY — As the state embarks on a long-awaited widening of Amesbury's Route 110 roadway, local police are expressing some disappointment that the Massachusetts Highway Department is choosing to use flagmen instead of the town's police force to handle increased traffic during construction.
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Councilors balk at $10K for charter consultant
NEWBURYPORT — The City Council hesitated this week when faced with a request from the Charter Commission for $10,000 to hire a consultant to assist in the charter review process, saying they needed more specific information about what the money will go toward.
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City wins $625K to fight youth substance abuse
NEWBURYPORT — The city has received a five-year federal grant totaling $625,000, which will ensure that the Beacon Coalition program will continue to flourish and grow.
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The Beacon Coalition was awarded a $125,000 annual Drug Free Communities Support Program grant for five years from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. - Heard Around Town
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Waves, rescues surge
