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At the start of 2024 the new Fairbank Community Center in Sudbury opened for the public without the razzle-dazzle of a grand opening event. That’s, in part, because there’s more work that needs to be done to complete the project. The old building is scheduled to be fully demolished by the end of January, and abatement work is already complete. Exterior work will continue through the spring months. That will also include the construction of a lighted multi-sport court in the area where the old building currently stands. That’s expected to be completed in May.
While work continues on site, the user groups have made the move and are now operating in the new facility. This phase has been described as a bit of a “soft opening,” as work continues on site and staff adapt to the operations of a new building.
On Wednesday, the Permanent Building Committee met to discuss the project. One issue they’ve been encountering is that residents are entering at the old Senior Center entrance, which is currently a demolition site. The Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) went to great lengths on Wednesday to ask the public to enter the new building and stay away from the old building demolition site. He noted that it is dangerous for the public to enter that area. Here’s where you should NOT go:
And here’s a much safer place to enter on the other side of the new building:
Demolition aside, there’s still more work to be done as the project enters the home stretch. One of the challenges they’ve encountered is a nagging drainage problem on the site. Water is pooling in front of the building, often spilling out onto the road. The Town has been evaluating options to address the water issues that have been bubbling up since the middle of 2023. On Wednesday the Permanent Building Committee was informed by the OPM that they’re close to agreeing on a path to a resolution for the drainage issues, but the committee did not deliberate or ask questions about the situation during the meeting.
The other item discussed was an ongoing issue with malfunctioning wave-access door systems. These systems allow people to wave, rather than pressing a metal plate, to mechanically open some exterior and interior doors. Some of those are working properly, others aren’t, and the manufacturer can’t figure out why. The committee seemed to reach a consensus that eliminating the wave feature and reverting to traditional mechanical functionality via the metal plate that you press was best. The alternatives would be either a complicated legal dispute, or to leave the partially-functioning systems in place, which can cause confusion for users.
The complexity of this phase of the project was evident throughout the meeting. They are simultaneously finishing some interior work, demolishing the old building, processing what were described as fairly typical change requests from the users, and gearing up for work to finalize the Park and Recreation entrance and pool viewing room once demolition is complete. After that, exterior work and landscaping begins.
While the risk of delays is ever-present in today’s construction environment, the OPM voiced confidence in the remaining timeline for completion. The members of the Permanent Building Committee appeared eager to get to the official completion of the entire project, but for residents that may be a distinction without a difference. The new building is already open, programs are already operating inside, and the Fairbank Community Center is ready to welcome the public.