Local Engineering Firm Selected to Design Greenway and Center Springs Park Expansion

The town announced Friday that Fuss & O’Neill, a Manchester-based engineering and design firm, has been selected to draft the schematic design work for a planned expansion of Center Springs Park and the creation of the Bigelow Brook Greenway, two major components of the town’s plan to .

Fuss & O’Neill was selected over 10 other firms that submitted proposals for the project, according to Senior Planner Gary Anderson. The selection committee, which consisted of members of the Manchester Redevelopment Agency and town administrators, said it picked the local firm because it had experience completing similar projects in the past and seemed to grasp the Manchester Redevelopment Agency’s overall vision for a revitalized Broad Street area of town.

“We are really excited about this project,” said Tim Devanney, chairman of the Manchester Redevelopment Agency and the owner of .  “This is another big step forward in the redevelopment of Broad Street. We were very impressed with Fuss & O’Neill’s ideas about the park and greenway. We look forward to working with them.”    

The Manchester Redevelopment Agency’s recommended plan for revitalization of the Broad Street area includes the widening and beautification of Broad Street, a greenway connecting Bigelow Brook to Center Springs Memorial Park, and the expansion of the park itself to include an entrance onto Broad Street.

The news of Fuss & O’Neill’s selection is just the latest in a series of announcements that advocates of the redevelopment of Broad Street will likely greeted with enthusiasm. Earlier this year, the Board of Directors approved a plan . The town has been at work removing materials from inside and around the building – motorists and pedestrians along Broad Street may have noticed that the infamous Bradlees sign came down at the end of August – while the Environmental Protection Agency recently approved the town’s plan to remove polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) from the buildings, the final step before the demolition project itself can be put out to bid.

Plans are also progressing for the reconstruction of Broad Street itself. The state Bond Commission for the reconstruction work in late April, and the town has received bids for the project and a contract is expected to be signed in the next for weeks. Anderson said he expects the reconstruction of Broad Street to begin in the spring.