Plans to build a new Manchester Police station are on indefinite hold until the economy improves, Mayor Betty Superstein said. The city had budgeted $1.4 million for the construction of a new headquarters for the Manchester Police Department, planned for location on Interstate Drive. It received two bids, both of which were over $2 million, too expensive for the city at the moment, she said. The lowest bidder, Sain Construction, was asked to see if changes could be made to make the project come within the $1.4 million target.
“The architects and others met with Sain to discuss the options, and found they could only reduce it by $170,000,” Superstein said. “That wasn’t enough to move forward. It’s still too much over our budget.” The project was to be paid for in part by a USDA Rural Development grant, and $200,000 in federal stimulus funding. Those funding sources required that the project be done with American made products and materials, adding to the cost, she said.
In a memo to department heads explaining the hold on the project, Superstein wrote that “Our budget it too tight, the economy is still too sluggish, and therefore all bids have been rejected,” she said. “We will wait and hopefully the economy will continue to get better,” she said. “When the economy is better we will work again on financing a police station. I hate it, but this just is not the time to be going and borrowing more money. We can wait a while on a new police station. Everybody is stuffed into city hall, but we’ll be okay.”
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