Senior center bids due as $15.3 million estimate holds

Select Board · Meeting of October 20, 2026

AYER — The Ayer Select Board heard that the town's $15.3 million senior center project remains on budget as general contractor bids come due November 4. Senior Center Building Committee chair Katie and vice chair Ken Diskin told the board 14 general contractors and more than 100 subcontractors sought prequalification, and a final state conservation management permit, expected within 30 days, is the last hurdle before construction can begin. The $15.3 million estimate fits within $15.5 million authorized by Fall 2025 Town Meeting through a $10 million debt exclusion, a $1.5 million contingency and a $437,000 fundraising goal, toward which the Friends of the Ayer Senior Center have raised $130,000 of a pledged $375,000.

Diskin said he was "pretty impressed with the work that was done by the consultant" on the project's permitting. The board separately approved the fiscal year 2028 budget calendar unanimously and approved amended October 6 meeting minutes.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of October 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.