City OKs contract for police station Council rejects Essex St. housing proposal

BANGOR – Two key building projects, one being undertaken by the city and the other by the state, advanced Monday night. A third initiative, however, fell through after city councilors narrowly rejected a zone change key to the project.

In a unanimous vote near the end of a more than three-hour meeting, city councilors awarded the police station construction contract to low bidder Nickerson & O’Day of Brewer.

Minutes later, they awarded tentative developer status to the state court system, which has chosen a city-owned parcel at the intersection of Washington and Exchange streets as the site for a $37 million court construction project.

Though Nickerson & O’Day’s base bid was $6,151,098, members of the council went with the recommendation of its finance committee to authorize up to $6,474,077 for the project, a higher figure that reflects the addition of some alternate items not part of the base construction package. The add-ons include a public address system, file storage systems for active and archived files and evidence, anti-static flooring to protect computerized dispatch equipment and a roof warranty upgrade.

With regard to the court project, state court officials have decided to build the new facility on a city-owned parcel overlooking the Kenduskeag Stream.

The state plans to move its operations from the corner of Hammond and Court streets. The new modern building would be secure for the public, court staff, jurors, lawyers, defendants and others, court officials have said.

As tentative developer, the court system has until Dec. 31 to work out terms and conditions acceptable to the city.

The project that didn’t win its needed approval was the one proposed for the former Naval Reserve Center on Essex Street that aimed to provide 32 units of affordable townhouse-style housing for the area’s work force. Neighbors turned out in full force Monday to oppose the project.

Their chief concerns included increased traffic at the intersection of Stillwater Avenue and Essex Street and that it was too intensive a project for the neighborhood, now dominated by single-family homes.

Because it was not recommended by the city’s planning board, a needed zone change would have required support from two-thirds of the City Council. The final tally was one vote short of the needed minimum, which elicited applause and cheers from residents of Essex and other nearby streets.

Also Monday, the council approved an agreement allowing American Folk Festival organizers to use space at Bass Park for parking. To help keep the festival admission-free, visitors who choose to leave their vehicles at Bass Park will be charged fees of $5 a day or $10 for a weekend pass.