ALBANY, N.Y., Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Saratoga Springs Department of Public Works, in partnership with CPL, a full-service design firm, and MLB Construction, have been recognized by the American Public Works Association (APWA) with the Small Cities / Rural Communities Project of the Year award for the restoration of the city hall building in Saratoga Springs. The annual awards program recognizes the efforts of public works agencies, contractors and consultants who develop, own and maintain infrastructure projects that promote excellence in construction management and administration.
In 2018, lightning struck the Saratoga Springs city hall causing a fire and subsequent water damage that ravaged the historic building and seat of local government in Saratoga Springs. City operations were moved to temporary offices in the local recreation center, significantly disrupting the delivery of services to the public.
Facing a catastrophic emergency situation that affected all city operations, the Saratoga Springs DPW immediately engaged the architectural, engineering, and planning services of CPL and set out to renovate and restore the 60,000-sq.-ft. facility while preserving the architectural heritage.
“Addressing an emergency that disrupted government operations with a fast, but measured response allowed for the preservation of unique historic value while optimizing the building conditions,” said Michael Veitch, DPW business manager and project manager for the City of Saratoga Springs. “The project team, Saratoga Springs employees and the public can be very proud of what was accomplished through exceptionally challenging times for a local government.”
The team addressed essential building system upgrades as part of the renovation, modernizing departmental offices while highlighting the historic significance of public areas. A full space assessment was conducted that resulted in a reallocation of departments within the building, allowing for significant expansion of the Courts Administration on the building’s second floor. In addition, the heavily damaged Music Hall was redesigned with a new entrance, A/V upgrades and acoustical improvements. Overall, the restoration and recreation of finishes, trim profiles and light fixtures maintained historic continuity and context.
“This building holds so much history and has been a pillar in the Saratoga Springs community since its construction began in the fall of 1870,” said Jim Dawsey, president, MLB Construction. “We worked diligently with our partners to achieve the trifecta in historic preservation—to conserve resources, reduce waste, and save money.”
The more than $12 million investment transformed the Saratoga Springs City Hall into a safe, maintainable and efficient historic venue that is a functional environment for the public and city personnel for years to come. The total duration of the project was 22 months—from lightning strike to re-occupation by the staff—with the major construction occurring in 13 months.
“For almost 10 years, the APWA Project of the Year awards have become one of the highest honors in the public works profession, allowing companies and municipalities to be publicly acknowledged for being the best in the business” said John Hall, principal, CPL. “We are deeply honored that the APWA recognized CPL’s leadership and our partners in this important category.”
The project was also completed in partnership with AVL Designs and Ciurzynski Consulting.
Projects of the Year for the Small Cities/Rural Communities are awarded to those cities or counties with a population of 75,000 or less and in the same categories of structures, transportation, environment, historical restoration/preservation, and disaster or emergency construction repair.
About CPL
Founded in 1975, CPL is a 450-person multi-disciplined architecture, engineering and planning firm offering inspiring design services and enriching communities in 19 cities across five states. CPL specializes in the Healthcare, Transportation, Community and Academic sectors – providing architectural, interior design, civil engineering, buildings and structural engineering, planning, landscape architecture and 3D/virtual design services to a host of public and private clients. Visit www.CPLteam.com to learn more.
SOURCE CPL Architecture | Engineering | Planning
