Blue Lights Finally Flashing at the End of a Long Tunnel on Police HQ Project

Construction is just about completed on the new police headquarters and the Board of Selectmen appears to be very happy.

By early January, Wilton Police Chief Tom Conlan said, the dispatch center will officially be moved into the new building, with total completion and occupation anticipated for Feb. 1, 2026.

“I think it’s a job well done and I thank you so much,” Selectwoman Kim Healy told Department of Public Works Director Frank Smeriglio during his presentation to the BOS on Nov. 18.

“It took us a while to get here, but I thoroughly appreciate the thoroughness and the completeness of your presentation (and) I think the building looks amazing,” said Healy, who months ago played a pivotal role in getting the $19-million project back on track after issues with finances and management by the town led to delays and raised questions about how much money had been spent and exactly how much would still be needed.

When the project began, it originally had a July 2025 end-date.

There are relatively few items left to finish now. The town is waiting for the construction company, A. Secondino & Sons., Inc., to finish some “punch list” items over the next couple of weeks, which will enable the architect, Tecton Architects, to sign off on the project.

Tecton Project Manager Rebecca Hopkins explained that they have submitted two separate punch lists to Secondino, one for interior work and the other for exterior.

“Once they’ve completed those items, we do what’s called a back punch list,” she said. “We verify that it’s been completed to our satisfaction and then those items are kind of ticked off the list.”

Hopkins said that if there are items that are not addressed in a timely manner, or that they feel are not up to par with Secondino’s contractual obligation, Tecton then creates a monetized punch list. This list puts a price on each remaining item based on the town having to go to a different contractor to get the work done.

“That monetized punch list accompanies our Substantial Completion Letter,” she said, with funds taken back from the contractor if they fail to meet their obligations.

“So there’s protection to insure that all of those punch list items are completed,” Hopkins said.

“We want to issue that Substantial Completion Letter as quickly as possible, but it’s a very critical juncture,” she said. “There’s a transfer of risk and responsibility. It also starts all of your warranty periods, so we want to be sure we’re satisfied with all of the contractual responsibilities, that they’ve been completed.”

Smeriglio explained that some of the key items remaining include painting, work on the walkways, furniture installation, and ultimately a thorough cleaning. There is also the process of having the elevator installed and inspected by the state, and the installation of a generator.

“The critical thing that we’re dealing with right now is IT [the Information Technology Department] is now involved with the project because we have to set up the network connection between Town Hall and the server,” he said.

Conlan described it as being a lot of work, with some state-owned material in the current communications room and the transition from the old system to the new a careful and critical one.

“The infrastructure’s all in … It’s a gorgeous room compared to what we have now,” he said. “It’s time to start hooking up the servers and the hardware … It’s quite a big process.”

Conlan said the dispatch center will be officially moved in early January. During a 24-hour period the center will be virtually moved to Norwalk so that there are no gaps in communication and calls. Conlan said that while it’s a critical crossover, he believes it will all run smoothly.

One issue that arose, he said, was some of the handheld radio communications not working properly when people are within the new building, given its thick walls and double windows. Consequently, they’re installing a radio signal-boosting PDA system, which is already commonly used in the schools.

“We knew this could be a possibility,” Conlan said.

As of Nov. 18, according to Smeriglio, the running budget for the project is $14,628,948.37. Asked by Healy if he thought there was adequate contingency in place to complete the project, he said he did not think there was once they move on to Phase II, which involves knocking down the old building and then, in Phase III, building a carport — or ERT — in the rear of the building.

“I still think there’s too much work left to be comfortable with what’s remaining,” Smeriglio said.

First Selectman Toni Boucher expressed her happiness with the project.

“This is why it’s so valuable to have a report every single meeting we have, so we can be brought up to date,” she said, “especially now that we’re getting so close to the end of the process.”