Fall River RDA approves $21,800 amendment for Northfield Point bid packages; permits filed with MassDEP and MEPA

The Fall River Redevelopment Authority on April 30 approved a $21,800 amendment to its contract with Beta Group (referred to in meeting materials as Beta) to prepare a second bid package and provide bid support for Northfield Point and related mooring and dinghy‑dock work.

Karen Martin, project manager, told the authority that all required permits have been submitted to MassDEP and MEPA and were under review. She said the design team planned to issue two separate bid packages: one for mooring fields and dinghy docks and a second for Northfield Point improvements and revetment work. "We picked our, there's like 25 pieces of granite that was in the city surplus that we're, tagged, and we measured, and they're being coordinated onto the drawings now," Martin said.

Martin said the contractor(s) will finalize bid documents the week of Memorial Day; the separate packages were intended to keep the mooring/dinghy work distinct from shoreline and revetment work and to make grant applications cleaner. She also said staff had discussed using excess FY24 design funds to begin invasive plant management at Northfield Point, pending Seaport Economic Council approval.

The authority voted to amend the Beta contract by $21,800 to produce the second set of bid plans and to provide bid support; the motion authorized the executive director to sign the amendment. Board members recorded affirmative votes.

What’s next: staff will finalize bid documents the week of May 26, await state permit responses and proceed with grant applications when the Seaport portal opens for FY26 proposals on June 1.