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Marblehead’s Recreation and Parks Commission voted unanimously to recommend awarding a $381,000 design contract for the Reynolds Playground and Green Street field to CHA Consulting, ending a selection process that commissioners say has stretched across seven years.
The decision favors a firm with municipal sports facility experience and in-house capabilities over a lower-cost competitor whose proposal relied heavily on subcontractors. The commission must now seek Select Board approval before work can begin on the long-awaited project, which aims to redesign the aging Green Street recreation complex.
The decision follows an extended evaluation of two firms competing under a request for qualifications process, which prioritizes expertise over price. CHA emerged as the commission’s choice despite a higher Phase 1 cost estimate of approximately $381,000 compared to roughly $328,000 from competitor Olsen when adjusted for equivalent scope.
Commissioners cited CHA’s specialization in municipal sports facilities and its ability to handle all project phases in-house as key factors. Multiple commissioners raised concerns about Olsen’s reliance on outside consultants for critical disciplines, noting the potential for change orders and coordination delays when specialists must be brought in piecemeal.
Commissioner Larry Simpson pointed to CHA’s scale and geographic reach as advantages. He noted the firm employs roughly 2,000 people nationwide, with about 120 staff within an hour of Marblehead across offices in Boston, the South Shore and southern New Hampshire. Simpson contrasted that footprint with Olsen’s smaller team and varied project focus, suggesting CHA’s municipal sports niche reduces risk for the town.
“This is what they do every day,” Simpson said of CHA during the meeting. “They said it multiple times, this is their specialization.”
Commissioner Karin Ernst acknowledged strengths in Olsen’s proposal, particularly landscape design concepts that incorporated existing site features and creative use of berms and seating. However, Ernst ultimately supported CHA’s “more well rounded proposal” and ability to execute all project phases.
Phase 1 work under the CHA contract will include stakeholder meetings, wetland site analysis, geotechnical engineering, preliminary master planning, community presentations, design development for all three project phases and construction documents for Phase 1 only. The firm will also handle permitting and the noise study required for the initial phase.
The $381,000 Phase 1 budget represents a fraction of the broader Green Street complex transformation envisioned by the commission. That larger effort, presented to the Select Board in June 2025, totaled $2.639 million for Phase 1 construction and would create a refrigerated rink with pavilion-style roof and modular turf system using the $3 million Larz Anderson bequest left to the town in 2016. The design contract now being awarded will determine whether that ambitious plan is buildable given site constraints.
Commissioners expressed confidence that CHA’s site analysis will confirm buildability, though they acknowledged drainage challenges at the Green Street location have been a persistent concern. One firm indicated during presentations that synthetic turf might be necessary given site conditions, as natural grass could prove difficult to maintain.
The commission’s next step involves presenting the award recommendation to the Select Board. Commissioners said they would request placement on an upcoming agenda to formalize the decision and authorize the first phase of expenditures.
