Town Green Working Group Prepares to Interview Design Firms

On Tuesday, November 29th the Town Green Working Group (TGWG) will hold interviews with firms competing to design Dedham’s Town Green. The Town Green will ultimately sit on the corner of Washington and High Streets in Dedham Square, replacing the Police Station. The Police and Fire Departments will begin moving into the new Public Safety Building on Bryant Street in December.

The interviews next week are the final phase in a thorough search for a firm to design the Town Green. TGWG Chair Mike Butler explained, “Dedham was really fortunate in the caliber of firms who responded to the Request for Qualifications (RFQ.). The Working Group understands that the Town Green will serve the Dedham community for generations to come. We have established criteria and questions to ensure the project has a Design and Engineering team that will create an exceptional design and help the town manage the project effectively.”

Last month, the Town received submissions from five firms answering the RFQ for a Design Team for the project. The TGWG met earlier this month to rate and review proposals, choosing four firms to move on to the next screening stage. Interviews will be held at Town Hall and will each consist of a 20-minute presentation followed by 20 minutes for follow up questions. All four firms will be interviewed on the 29th, beginning at 6:00 pm. The TGWG welcomes public attendance in person or via zoom.

Micah Flynn, a member of the TGWG and of the original Dedham Square Planning Committee, explained “We understand that the more community input we have, the better the final design will be. I encourage folks to attend the presentations or watch from home.” The TGWG will meet on Monday, December 5 to rate the presentations and establish a scope of services to be negotiated with the finalist. Their goal is to have a contract signed so the Design process can begin in January, 2023.

In May, Town Meeting voted to allocate $2.55m toward demolishing the existing Police Station and creating a Town Green in its place. The Select Board formed the Town Green Working Group (TGWG) to screen design firms, help manage the public process, and make recommendations to Town Manager Leon Goodwin about design and construction of the Town Green.

The Town Green Working Group is made up of six residents: Mike Butler, appointed by Select Board Chair Jim MacDonald; Mark Pearrow, appointed by Select Board Vice-chair Kevin Coughlin, Tom Polito, appointed by Select Board member Dimitria Sullivan; Tara Ikenouye, appointed by Select Board member Dennis Teehan; Micah Flynn, appointed by Select Board member Erin Boles Welsh, and Jessica Porter, appointed by the Dedham Square Planning Committee. TGWG meetings are listed on the Town Calendar and always held as hybrid, with an option for members of the public to attend either in person or via zoom. If you’d like to receive updates on this project, you can subscribe on the Town website, dedham-ma.gov by clicking “subscribe” on the top bar at right. Enter your email and select the "Town Green" subscription topic under "Engineering Projects."