Merrimack County has awarded the job of building a new superior court to Concord developer Steve Duprey.
While Duprey was one of two bidders on the project, County Administrator Steve Marro said the decision “shouldn’t come as a shock to anybody.”
The other proposal came from Vermont-based DEW Construction Corp. and its affiliate the MacMillin Company, which operates out of Keene. A company representative did not return a call for comment Thursday.
“Both highly reputable companies, both well financed, both great criteria and history working in the state and for the state,” Marro said. “So there was nothing there that would eliminate one over the other. Duprey’s addressed a lesser price and addressed parking concerns much more thoroughly than MacMillin’s did.”
The aging Merrimack County Superior Court at 163 N. Main St. has needed an upgrade for years. During the budget process last year, the Legislature earmarked $16.6 million to build a new courthouse near the state office complex on Hazen Drive.
But at the eleventh hour, county and city officials rallied to keep the building downtown. With Duprey’s help, they pushed to build a new courthouse immediately next to the existing one. A nearby administrative building could be demolished for parking, they suggested, and the historic courthouse could be renovated into offices.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate agreed to a bill enabling that plan, and it is awaiting the governor’s signature. Once the courthouse is finished, the state will buy it from the county for $15.7 million, which is a cheaper estimate that the state originally planned.
Despite Duprey’s extensive role in developing the downtown concept, Marro said the review process was “fair and equal.”
“I think both of the projects were vetted very, very well. . . . We didn’t try to single anybody out,” Marro said.
Because Duprey worked closely with the county to develop the last-minute plan, he said he was acutely aware of the risks to the developer. For example, he said, the state has stipulated construction cannot disrupt the day-to-day operations of the existing courthouse. The clerk can stop work at any time, which Duprey said could add time and cost to the project.
“The only advantage we had is that we’ve been working with this project longer than anyone, so I think we knew more about it,” Duprey said.
Both proposals came in under budget: MacMillen at $15.15 million and Duprey at $14.25 million. The developer – not the state or county – will be responsible for any overages.
Duprey’s plan calls for a two-story courthouse with secure parking for judges and other staff. Demolishing the nearby administration building and discontinuing part of Pitman Street will allow for 150 parking spaces, which is greater than the current number.
The new building will stand on top of the existing parking lot, so Duprey included a plan to account for those roughly 80 spaces during the construction period. Part of the project includes discontinuing nearby Pitman Street for 15 future spaces; additionally, he suggested leasing spaces in the nearby Stewart-Nelson Plaza near TD Bank or on Storrs Street.
MacMillen’s proposal outlined a three-story building, which had not been the preference of court employees. The concept includes secure parking on the ground floor and 123 additional parking spots. There is no plan included for temporary parking, but the bid document suggests MacMillen believed Merrimack County planned to lease spaces from the nearby Stewart-Nelson Plaza near TD Bank.
In his proposal, Duprey also asked for the county to reimburse his earlier costs on the project, should he not be selected.
That figure eventually totaled $250,000, according to the April 28 cover letter on his bid.
When he became involved last year, Duprey said he didn’t want to be the person to carry out the courthouse’s construction. But on Thursday, he said he is honored to be selected.
“I know it means I’m going to have to defer a couple other projects I was working on,” Duprey said. “That’s fine. I would have been happy had someone else done this, because it’s good for Concord, good for the court system, good for the county, but I’m excited that we won.”
The tight time schedule and unusual financial obligations dissuaded others from applying, Marro said. The county sent a request for proposals to more than 20 construction companies, developers, architecture firms and industry associations and journals.
One of them was Brookstone Builders Inc., based in Manchester.
“We felt No. 1, there’s too much risk with the guaranteed maximum price for a firm our size,” project manager Erik Crisman said. “It always is a concern because you’re carrying a great deal of financial risk on the project.”
The governor is expected to sign the bill. The state and the county are still finalizing the legal agreement for the courthouse, and the county is now working on the language of its contract with Duprey.
Once those documents are completed, design and construction will begin. While the county is not required to go through the city’s public zoning and planning board processes, Marro said the team will.
“We’re trying to build a building that is acceptable to everybody, and that includes the citizenry,” Marro said.
Construction could begin in the fall, though bad weather could push the start date to springtime. Either way, Marro said, the court operations should move to the new location by the start of 2018.
Duprey’s budget allows for a profit for the county, which Marro said will be used to renovate the existing courthouse into office space and demolish the nearby administrative building.
“It’s a hell of a process,” he said.
(Megan Doyle can be reached at 369-3321, mdoyle@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @megan_e_doyle.)