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Cheverly officials press contractor after public‑works building slips to 'early May' as staff remain in trailer
Summary
Keller, the project's contractor, told Cheverly council the new public-works/Ealy building likely won’t be fully turned over until early May; town leaders said staff should not be working in a trailer and demanded a firm move‑in date.
Ben Fry, vice president with Keller, told the Cheverly mayor and council that the contractor’s current target is to deliver the full public‑works building with punch‑list items complete in early May, while the office portions of the building could be turned over several weeks earlier.
“We are working towards having the entire building turned over with the punch list complete … early May,” Fry said, adding Keller hopes to hand over office areas sooner and that exterior garage work and concrete corrections are weather‑dependent.
Mayor Micah Watson pressed for a firmer timetable and flagged the operational strain caused by the delay. “It is unacceptable that our public‑works staff work in a trailer,” Watson said, noting staff lacked reliable restroom facilities during recent storm operations.
Town Administrator Delaine Galloway expressed frustration with the schedule slippage and demanded clearer, earlier dates. “We were supposed to be in this building a year ago … I am extremely disappointed,” Galloway said, asking the contractor and staff to provide a definitive timeline immediately.
Director Bremen, the town’s public‑works director, acknowledged problems and accepted responsibility for shortcomings in the storm response while praising staff who worked long hours. “I hold myself accountable for not having those lessons already learned,” Bremen said, while listing equipment failures and ice conditions that complicated cleanup.
Council members focused on the immediate operational impacts: bathroom access and field availability for spring sports, and how to protect park programming if construction runs into the season. Keller said some AV equipment arrival dates are late (expected mid‑March) and that some exterior concrete corrections require warmer weather, which contributes to a May completion estimate.
The council asked Keller to provide updated, detailed schedules and for staff to identify which interior spaces could be made available sooner so crews and community programs can resume. The mayor and administrator said they expect a report back at the next work session and an earlier definitive move‑in date for administrative areas.
If hours or responsibilities change for staff while the building remains incomplete, council members signaled they will seek written plans to minimize service disruptions and protect workers during warmer weather and sporting‑season activity.
