NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The new administrative building at Harriman & West Airport is on schedule for an August completion.

 

"Things are moving along very well," Peter Enzien of Stantec Consulting Services told the Airport Commission on Tuesday.

 

The vacant medical building that sat just off Route 2 on airport land was relocated to become the terminal after funding gaps prevented the city from building a planned $4.5 million structure.

 

The commission in conjunction with the city came up with a new plan in which they would move the building to a more suitable location, renovate it and use it as the new administrative building for $3.6 million.

 

The 8,700-square-foot building was lifted and moved back 500 feet onto the airport campus with a motorized trailer in mid-January.

 

The building was donated to the city by Berkshire Health Systems after the doctors' practice vacated it for another location. The two-story building was designed by Westall Architects to hold offices for the administration of the airport, classroom space, pilots' lounge, public restrooms, and a food service operation.

 

Enzien said the rough-in work for utilities is complete and has been inspected and the interior walls are 90 percent complete.

 

He said exterior walls will be the next project.

 

The east and west entrances have been framed and the seven-foot tall windows will be installed where the restaurant is planned to go. The idea is that people will be able to watch the planes while they dine. There will also be an outside eating area. 

 

"They are ready to go in," he said. "In the next few weeks you will probably see them."

 

The airport's call letters of AQW will be installed on one of the flat rubberized dormer roofs.

 

"It will look neat from up above," Enzien  said.

 

He said lighting and signage will also be installed.

 

The contract duration is 280 days and the contractors DA Sullivan & Sons are currently on day 198. Enzien said if they stay within the contract duration, work should wrap up in early August, but he suspects they will finish a few weeks ahead of schedule. 

 

Enzien went on to say the Airport Master Plan Committee has yet to meet because of scheduling conflicts.  

 

"We have been struggling to get the whole committee together for one reason or the other people have had to cancel," he said. "We want to have the entire committee present for the first meeting."

 

He said they hope to be able to meet in June.

 

In other business, the airport's new brush management and mowing equipment arrived this week.

 

This purchase of this equipment was aided by a state grant and the city now needs to establish a place to store the equipment.