Chester committee moves proposed $8 million public-works garage to council agenda, contingent on solicitor and chief of staff

The Chester Public Works Committee voted on Jan. 15 to add preliminary-final approval for a proposed new public works and parks garage at 291 Lloyd Street to the City Council agenda for Jan. 22, contingent on approval from the city solicitor and the chief of staff, committee members said.

The project matters because the city plans to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to build a climate-controlled, multi-bay facility to replace an existing garage the city says is inadequate; project leaders said the city must confirm available ARPA funding and meet federal timing requirements before moving forward. "The public works garage that we currently operate in is not satisfactory for, our staff and for the City's needs," Andrew Hayman, Director of Public Works, said during the meeting.

Engineers from Colliers presented updated plans and a cost estimate. Anthony LaRosa, a Colliers engineer, said the design is roughly 14,200 square feet with office space (currently drawn for seven offices and a bullpen), multi-bays for vehicle maintenance, and a covered salt shed to protect de-icing material from rain. "So we're looking somewhere in the range of about 8,000,000, total," LaRosa said. He described the design as roughly 80–90% complete and said the team expects to go out to bid in February or March, subject to any refinements and confirmation of funding.

Council and staff discussed cost-control measures. LaRosa explained the use of alternate bid items — a base bid with optional add-ons — and said the team would include a roughly 10% contingency in estimates to reflect current volatility in the construction market. He warned that some materials and equipment, such as emergency generators, remain costly and affect estimates.

Planning approvals are partly in place. Hayman and the engineers said the Chester City Planning Commission granted preliminary-final approval; Delaware County provided a sketch-plan review and indicated it would accept the city's decision. Dave Schwartz (engineering) said the county's comments were suggestions and clarifications and did not block the project. The presenters said minor refinements to the site plan likely would not require a new major commission review.

Committee members emphasized employee health and long-term capacity. Hayman and a facilities staff member identified as Mr. Alexander said the current Dock Street facility is unsuitable and that the new site would provide protected storage for equipment and a more user-friendly workplace. Committee members asked whether the facility could be downsized if necessary; Alexander said the team was reviewing options to reduce scale while retaining growth capacity.

On timing and funding, Hayman noted ARPA timing constraints discussed at the meeting: "those funds have timelines on them. So, they had to be allocated or obligated by December 31, 2024, got to be spent by December 31, 2026," he said, adding that the city must confirm allocations and priorities before committing to bid advertising and award. Committee members and staff agreed that the advertising of bids and the awarding of a contract are separate steps: advertising can occur before a final award, but awarding a contract would require later council action when funds are certified.

The committee voted to move the item onto the Jan. 22 council agenda for preliminary-final approval, "contingent upon approval from the chief of staff and the solicitor," per the motion. The committee chair announced the motion had been approved.

What happens next: engineers said they will refine costs and return to the committee with final numbers before the full council acts. If the council signs off and bids are solicited, the city would receive and review bids and then return to council for a contract award at a later date.

Votes at a glance: The committee approved adding the preliminary-final approval of the 291 Lloyd Street public-works facility to the Jan. 22 City Council agenda, contingent on solicitor and chief-of-staff approval. The meeting record shows the motion was moved, seconded and approved; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Ending note: Staff said they will provide committee members with plan documents on request and will return with refined cost estimates before asking the full council to authorize any bid award.