Town of Marion Unveils New DPW Operations Building with Ribbon Cutting and Tours

The Town of Marion celebrated the completion of the new Department of Public Works Operations Building with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, open house and tours of the facility on Friday, Feb. 13. The facility is located at 60 Benson Brook Road. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)

MARION — Town officials on Friday celebrated the completion of Marion’s new Department of Public Works Operations Building, a 14,400-square-foot facility that was delivered $315,000 under budget.

About 85 town officials, employees and residents gathered at 60 Benson Brook Road on Feb. 13 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony, open house and tours of the new building, a project years in the making that will centralize and modernize key public works operations.

Funded by Marion voters at Town Meeting, the 200-foot-by-72-foot structure includes 12 garage bays, a mechanics bay, vehicle wash bay, offices, locker rooms and dedicated storage space. 

Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman thanked residents for supporting the project and the Building Committee for overseeing it to completion.

“This is a chance to show off of the great work that everyone’s done here. It’s all due to the generosity of the residents of Marion for funding this project,” said Town Administrator Gorman. “This new facility will allow our dedicated DPW employees to work more safely, efficiently and effectively in service to our residents.”

Select Board Chair Randy Parker said the effort to build the new DPW Operations Building goes back to around 1996, when an earlier proposal came with an estimated price tag of $30 million.

The current $5.2 million project was constructed over the past two years and came in $315,000 under budget.

“Special thanks to the Building Committee for seeing this project through, rain or shine,” Select Board Chair Parker said. “It was never easy. It never is.”

The facility now houses the DPW’s Highway and Water divisions, with 14 of the department’s 18 employees primarily based in the new building. The Sewer Division will remain based next door at the administration building located at 50 Benson Brook Road.

“Before this, our equipment was always stored outside,” said DPW Director Jody Dickerson. “The town has spent millions of dollars over the years on equipment. This will save the lives of the vehicles. It’ll extend the lives between five to 10 years more. That’s a huge, huge difference.”

One of the building’s key features is its radiant flooring system, which keeps the facility warm during colder months and allows employees to work comfortably and safely throughout the winter. The building is also equipped with a vehicle wash bay, featuring an automatic sensor-triggered undercarriage spray system to help remove salt and reduce rust on town vehicles.

During the ceremony, state Sen. Kelly Dooner and state Rep. Mark Sylvia presented citations from the State House recognizing the completion of the project. The town also presented a citation to former DPW Director Rebecca Tilden, who began her career with the department in 1995 as an administrative assistant.

DPW Director Dickerson and Select Board Chair Parker also presented citations from the Town of Marion to every department employee, recognizing their years of service and thanking them for their dedication to the community.

The project was overseen by a Building Committee that included Casmiro Barros, Daniel Crete, Andrew Daniel, Dana Wilson and W. Dale Jones. The architect was Saltonstall Architects, the general contractor was South Coast Improvement Company and the project manager was Shaun Cormier.

Following the ribbon cutting, residents toured the mechanics bay, storage areas, locker rooms and exterior salt shed used for winter operations.

Town officials again thanked Marion taxpayers for their support of the project, noting that the investment will help protect town equipment, improve working conditions for employees and enhance public services for years to come.

“I can’t thank the townspeople enough for the support for this building. It’s their building,” said DPW Director Dickerson. “It allows us to do our job more efficiently, faster, and it’s a safe place for the employees to work out of. That is so important to us. I’m so grateful that the townspeople saw what needed to be done, they came and they stepped up.”

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Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman welcomes attendees during remarks at the ribbon cutting for Marion’s new Department of Public Works Operations Building. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)

Town officials and community members participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Feb. 13, celebrating the opening of Marion’s new Department of Public Works Operations Building at 60 Benson Brook Road. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)

A Marion DPW employee gives a tour of the new DPW Operations Building, showing the large cold-storage area, where municipal equipment and vehicles are stored. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)

DPW trucks and heavy equipment are parked inside one of the 12 garage bays of the new operations facility, protected from the elements. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)

Town vehicles are stored inside the new DPW facility’s cold-storage area. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)

The new Marion Department of Public Works Operations Building features a dedicated locker room with individual lockers and a shower area, providing DPW employees with amenities not available in the previous building. DPW employee Cole Carmody gave a tour of the building. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)

The salt shed at the new DPW Operations Building supports Marion’s winter snow and ice removal operations. DPW employee Cole Carmody gave a tour of the facility. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)

The exterior of Marion’s new 14,400-square-foot Department of Public Works Operations Building at 60 Benson Brook Road. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)

Select Board Chair Randy Parker addresses community members during Friday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new DPW Operations Building. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)

Approximately 85 residents, town officials and municipal employees gathered for the ribbon cutting, open house and tours of Marion’s new DPW Operations Building. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)

A citation was presented during the ribbon cutting by current DPW Director Jody Dickerson on behalf of the Town of Marion to former DPW Director Rebecca Tilden, who began her career with the department in 1995 as an administrative assistant. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Marion Department of Public Works Operations Building, DPW Director Jody Dickerson presented citations to every department employee, recognizing their years of service and dedication to the community. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)

A crowd composed of about 85 town officials, municipal employees and community members gathered at 60 Benson Brook Road to celebrate the completion of the 14,400-square-foot facility. (Photo Courtesy Town of Marion)