Groundbreaking ceremony to be held for Town Hall
By Dotti Farrington

The groundbreaking for the new town hall complex will be conducted the week of Oct. 23 on a day yet to be announced, Town Administrator Bruce Keiser advised the Town Council Tuesday. He said the tentative date of Oct. 16 for the construction ceremonies was being delayed.

Last month, the Town Council awarded a $2,960,111 contract for the new town hall complex to Pezzuco Construction of Cranston, with construction to start this month and be completed in 10 months at the existing Town Hall site on Narragansett Avenue. Voters approved a maximum of $3 million for the project.

Plans for the construction were prepared by Jamestown architect William Burgin.

The town received four bids in June, all over budget, for the town hall work. The bids ranged from $3.4 million to $4.3 million. Rules on bidding procedure enabled the town to negotiate costs with the three lowest bidders.

Pezzuco was established in 1987 as a general contractor. Richard Pezzuco is president and Ronald Pezzuco is vice president and treasurer of the corporation. The two Pezzucos are also officers of Pezzuco Brothers Development, started in 1995 for residential work.

Town employees moved their operations from Narragansett Avenue two weeks ago to temporary quarters at the Town-owned golf course's former country club building across from the police station. They were hailed for the speed and efficiency of the move.