Harvard’s new senior center at 16 Lancaster County Road will have an energy-efficient heat pump system after all. The Select Board this week voted to use American Rescue Plan Act funds to cover the bids for the renovation that came in over budget. The lowest bid was $378,929 over the amount the town voted for the project, mainly because of an increase in price for the heat pump system.
With enough money to cover the overage, the Permanent Building Committee voted on June 22 to award the renovation contract to the lowest bidder, Classic Construction and Development Corporation of Littleton. This leaves the town with about $1.26 million of the $1.9 million it received in ARPA funds.
After the bids came in high, neither the PBC nor the Select Board considered changing to a less expensive but less efficient heating system. Both the Harvard Energy Advisory Committee and the Harvard Climate Initiative Committee advised the Select Board that they still supported using heat pumps in the building, according to HCIC Chair Ellen Sachs Leicher.
