Shrewsbury MFOC Authorizes $151,517 in Contracts, Resets DPW Facility Design

SHREWSBURY -- July 9, 2026, Shrewsbury's Municipal Facilities Optimization Committee reset the town's long-stalled DPW facility project and authorized $151,517 in consultant contracts at its July 9 meeting. The committee voted unanimously, 5-0, on three separate motions: $96,500 to HKT Architects for conceptual redesign services, $20,000 to Fontaine Brothers Inc. for estimating and budgeting, and $35,017 to Vertex Companies LLC for continued owner's project manager work, all drawn from existing appropriations. Assistant Town Manager for Public Works Keith Baldinger told the committee that a November 2026 ballot question is no longer on the table, with the project now targeting a May 2027 annual town meeting vote and a projected construction start of spring 2028. A recent design charrette produced a new two-building, one-story pre-engineered concept that abandons a prior plan to renovate the existing highway garage, a move the team said could bring costs at or below the prior March 2025 estimate of roughly $440 per square foot for the DPW portion. "It's really all about making sure that we have the right information to the residents," Baldinger said, noting the project timeline is being deliberately aligned with a broader town financial model that may include a Proposition 2 1/2 override question.