The Hammond Board of Public Works and Safety on Nov. 20 approved a design contract for renovations to City Hall and a master engineering agreement intended to speed future consultant work. Correspondence presented to the board recommended American StructurePoint for architectural and interior design services; the city controller will fund the project internally.

Board members were told the administration wants to use vacant spaces in the building more effectively. "The administration would like us to try to, you know, use vacant spaces better in the building," a staff representative said while asking the board to approve the StructurePoint proposal. The motion to approve carried on a voice vote.

The board also approved a master agreement with Commonwealth Engineers, a firm the city has not contracted with previously. Staff described the arrangement as a master contract under which the city can issue task orders for discrete projects. Officials said one anticipated task order will fund a traffic impact study for development on State Street just west of Columbia Avenue beneath the bridge; that study will proceed once project funding is secured.

Motions to approve both the StructurePoint proposal and the Commonwealth master agreement were moved, seconded and adopted by the board. The approvals will allow staff to issue specific task orders and begin procurement steps for the design and the traffic study.

Next steps: staff will return with project task orders and timing for the traffic study when funding and scopes are finalized.