Architect outlines Berlin town-hall renovation scope, timeline and grant possibilities

Danielle Haley of Haley Architecture presented a detailed update on Berlin's town-hall renovation project, saying construction documents are roughly 75% complete and the team plans to advertise the work for bids following historic-commission review.

Haley outlined the scope: ADA-compliance upgrades, a new or updated elevator, updated HVAC and LED lighting, automatic fire sprinklers, asbestos and lead remediation, security and access-control improvements, and selective exterior restoration to restore the building's historic symmetry. She said many of the building systems are outdated: "The existing geothermal system is pretty much obsolete," and several HVAC units are not functioning properly. She also said they received "gut check" pricing from three local contractors that were roughly within the expected budget.

On schedule, Haley and staff stated the plan to seek historic-commission review on Dec. 3, advertise bids as early as Dec. 8, hold a bid opening Jan. 5, and—if bids are favorable—seek council approval and issue a notice to proceed, with an estimated construction period of about eight months and a potential move-back-in date in mid-September. Staff noted possible funding assistance from NEA and the Maryland Energy Administration to help with HVAC and energy-efficiency upgrades and said the roof may have spare footage for solar panels. The council asked follow-up questions about entrance flow, customer-service access, and how visitor-center operations might be rearranged; staff said details about space assignments and alternates will be refined as bidding proceeds.