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North Adams Airport Commission Unhappy With Delayed Ramp Completion

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Airport Commission is unsatisfied with the delayed completion of Phase 2 of the airport's ramp.
 
Gale Associates representative Nick Ippolito told the commission last week that Phase 2 is largely complete except a few signs that need to be installed. He said they will have the signs by November.
 
Commissioner Trevor Gilman said the original date of completion was supposed to be Oct. 13 and the commission said the contractor, ET&L, could combine phases 1 and 2 of the project after promising to accelerate the entire project 25 days.
 
Gilman said he felt the contractor just wasted this time.
 
"I know they are small items and I know they do not impact the airport but it's just one more thing that has not been followed through on their part-time frame wise," Gilman said. "We have nothing but this end date to hold them to to make sure they get it done." 
 
Chairman Jeff Naughton suggested holding the final payment until everything is completed.
 
Ippolito said work was mostly complete by September and there was little impact that would represent damages. He added that the signs came in as a change order and that will always delay completion.
 
He did say if the commission felt there were damages it can pursue the contractor.
 
"If there are impacts that you have borne based on that work taking place after the contractor kind of vacated the site, I can talk to my bosses about liquidated damages if you would like me to," he said.
 
The commission agreed to hold off on making any decision until the project is complete and can be evaluate. 
 
"I don't want to be all doom and gloom because the project looks fantastic," Gilman said. "The airport looks better than any airport in the state right now but every project we do we want it done right."
 
Local pilot Mike Milazzo also brought up a concern about a 3-inch-deep puddle that continues to form on the apron. 
 
"For the money that the city spent on the thing with all of the engineers we had on site, one would assume we would have water flowing where it should," he said.
 
Ippolito said he knows the area and said the dozer had difficulties with that spot because it changes grades.
 
He said he brought it to the contractor's attention when he noticed a bump and there was an attempt to smoothen it out. He said too much must have taken away.
 
Ippolito said he will evaluate the spot and see what corrective actions can take place.
 
He said they might have to cut it out, regrade and repave the spot.

Tags: airport commission,   airport project,   harriman west,   

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Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
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