Thomaston to seek construction manager for proposed Fire, EMS building
Location site plan would be on Route 1 on a small parcel of what is commonly referred to as the Thomaston Green. Design plans are not 100 percent final, according to the Fire Chief.
Location site plan would be on Route 1 on a small parcel of what is commonly referred to as the Thomaston Green. Design plans are not 100 percent final, according to the Fire Chief.THOMASTON — The Thomaston Town Manager, Fire Chief, and a hired architect are working to finalize an RFQ seeking a firm to act as construction manager to a proposed Fire and EMS building. During its May 26, 2026 meeting, Select Board members unanimously approved the distribution of that “Construction Manager (CM) request for qualifications and proposals (RFQ)”, keeping the proposed project moving forward on a recently adjusted timeline, which includes continuation of design development.
The RFQ is aiming for a construction manager “at-risk” project delivery, which is one of several ways to deliver a project, according to Chief Dave Hanna. The CM will give Thomaston a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for this project. That firm gives a quote, and abides by the quote despite what the future may bring.
“That’s why it is called at-risk,” said Hanna.
Still, said Hanna, it’s a fairly standard RFQ for a construction manager once you put in the particulars of your project, such as the cost, the site location, and the deadlines. The at-risk style is considered the best guarantee in terms of cost, he said.
The construction manager would be one firm, and that firm would hire the sub contractors.
“What’s going to happen is, we’re hiring that contractor now,” said Hanna, “prior to the drawings being done. So all along, through the process of these drawings being developed, the contractor is going to bid this out with 25% completion, 50 and 75 percent, and then at 100 percent. So, he’s working with us and they’re going to have an understanding of this project all through it. That’s the main advantage of doing it this way.”
Several phases of the pre-construction process remain, and including design development, construction documents, and Planning Board review. However, the construction start time has been extended to Spring 2027, according to Hanna.
“It’s a more realistic timeline,” he said. “Plus once we’ve worked through the timeline, it would have put us starting construction in the dead of winter, and you really don’t want to do that.”
Winter work costs more.
The Fire Department is creating a project-updates section on its Fire Dept. page through the Town website.
