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Center at the Heights renovation: Needham committee approves DD work, budget updates for kitchen, vestibule and fitness rooms
Summary
The committee reviewed design-development work for the Center at the Heights renovation, including a new rear vestibule, upgraded commercial kitchen to support congregate and traveling meal programs, and a reconfigured fitness/game-room plan. The presentation included a revised construction estimate and an approval of an August invoice to BH+A.
Needham's project team presented updated drawings and a refined cost estimate for the multi-part Center at the Heights renovation and the School Building/Project Building committees approved a consultant invoice related to August work.
Scope overview: the project is divided into three primary elements: a new rear vestibule to provide a secure, insulated entry directly from the parking lot into the multipurpose room; a conversion of the existing warming/residential-style kitchen into a commercial kitchen with a walk-in freezer/cooler and upgraded ovens/hood to support on-site meal production; and a reconfiguration of the fitness and game-room spaces that moves the exercise equipment into a newly enlarged fitness room and converts the prior fitness area into a larger flexible exercise/dance space.
Program impact: the commercial kitchen is intended to preserve and expand town meal programs that serve seniors and other residents, and to provide redundancy should outside partners change operations. Presenters said the hood replacement is required for full commercial operation and that the kitchen equipment unit and stainless steel work contribute materially to the schedule and cost because of long lead times for custom equipment.
Budget and schedule: the design-development estimate for construction-only work presented to the committee was roughly $1.635 million; with FF&E, IT/AV, testing, soft costs and contingencies included the all-in total rose to approximately $2.18 million. Project staff noted about $345,000 is already appropriated for prior design services; the additional estimate would require an increase from the existing feasibility budget. The team carried a 10% construction contingency and a 5% owner's contingency in the current estimate. Project staff said construction could be scheduled to limit program disruption but that long lead times for kitchen equipment could constrain how fast the kitchen element can be completed; aggressive compression of the contractor schedule would carry overtime and premium costs.
Community and program questions: council-on-aging and veterans service staff participated in the conversation about room locations and access. Staff and committee members discussed three possible locations for a staff kitchenette/break room on the second floor and the trade-offs among those options. The committee noted interest in retaining programs that serve homebound residents and in providing healthy meals for seniors on fixed incomes.
Votes and next steps: the committee approved the August invoice from BH+A Architects for $21,500 from the architect budget. Staff will proceed to complete design development documents and to obtain 60'70/80% cost estimates ahead of bids. The presenters requested direction on which second-floor kitchenette option is preferred and said they will refine the hood and kitchen procurement schedule to minimize program disruption.
Speakers at the Center-at-the-Heights portion included the BH+A design lead (identified in the transcript as Jeremy), Town staff (Tim and others), and committee members who asked for additional cost and schedule detail prior to construction bidding.
