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Fire museum to prioritize weather‑tight repairs as windows and roof bids outstrip budget
Summary
Museum and city staff said bids to replace the Royal Fire Museum’s entire roof and masonry exceeded CPC funding; the committee approved one‑year extensions for phased roof repairs and a separate windows project so the museum can weather‑proof and open.
The Royal (Fall River) Fire Museum and city operations staff told the Community Preservation Committee that public bids to replace the museum’s full roof, gutters and masonry above the roof line exceeded available Community Preservation Committee funds.
Michael LePage, representing the museum, and Al Oliver, city operations director, said the original award (about $381,065) remains in the CPC account, but public bids for a complete roof and masonry work came back substantially higher — the low bid was reported to be more than $724,000 and another bid approached $979,000. The museum and staff said they will pursue a phased approach that secures the ‘hostel’ (rear) roof, tower masonry and chimney work first so that the museum’s exhibit spaces are protected and the facility can open to the public this fall.
LePage said the museum has completed other work funded from different grants — LED lighting, interior finishes, electrical upgrades, an ADA parking pad and an ADA entrance — and that replacing windows remains a priority to open to visitors. Committee members urged the museum to coordinate local historic‑commission approvals for window designs and to ensure the project scope aligns with CPC award terms.
The committee approved a one‑year extension for the FY22 roof project to allow phased work to proceed with the funds on hand and also approved a one‑year extension for the FY23 window project so the museum can proceed with design and bidding. Committee members asked for periodic progress reports and recommended prioritizing weather‑proofing work that would enable the museum to open.
