In May 2015 the Merrimac Board of Selectmen formed a Public Safety Building Committee to explore the feasibility and affordability of replacing/renovating the existing facility located at 16 East Main St. The existing building is severely deteriorated and outdated to the point where it compromises the safety of staff and visitors. In fact, the recent feasibility study showed that the police side of the building is actually sinking into the ground. Since that time the committee has met on numerous occasions developing a strategy to upgrade the Police, Fire and DPW to modern standards as most communities have done.
Following the Massachusetts Public Procurement protocol (MGL Chapter 149), HKT Architects Inc. was contracted by the committee in August 2015 to conduct a feasibility study for the Merrimac Public Safety Complex. This work included a review of existing facilities, an evaluation of safety and functional aspects of the building, programming for the Police, Fire, Emergency Services, Intermediate Ambulance Service and Public Works departments, and a review of several off site locations as possible locations for new structures.
The resulting 481-page study is a comprehensive look at all of these items. The full report is available for review here.