PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The new BJ's Wholesale is set to be fully constructed by the end of the September and the store will open shortly after.
According Robert MacPherson, founder of Cape Breton Corp., the company that is building the store, construction and utilities are on pace to be completed and the store can be turned over to BJ's management for an October opening.
"The BJ's is looking, hopefully, to open in the middle or end of September," MacPherson said Tuesday. "Certainly before the first of October is our hope."
The construction, located on Hubbard Avenue behind Price Chopper, is expecting to bring 120 new jobs to the city. The club's website is advertising an array of jobs from an assistant manager to meat cutters to department supervisors.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Guidance systems for nuclear missiles deployed on new and old Navy submarines will come from the hands of local workers.
Nearly 300 employees of local defense contractors received job security with a $494 million government contract released in December to modernize the country's Trident II missiles' guidance systems.
"Work on the MK 6 guidance system operations contract is performed in Pittsfield by 244 General Dynamic employees, 32 Raytheon Company employees and eight Draper Laboratory employees. This award is a continuation of our existing work and will sustain current employment levels over the next three years," said Kathleen Granchelli, direct of media relations and communications at Draper, in an e-mail. That information was provided by General Dynamics, she said.
The Department of Defense announced the contract last month to Cambridge-based Draper Laboratories to build guidance systems for the missiles deployed on Ohio-class submarines. Local employees at General Dynamics, Raytheon and Draper will be responsible for 11 percent of the project.
The system is an inertial guidance that sends steering commands to the missile during launch. Pittsfield's contingent will be providing technical engineering.
"Draper and its subcontractors' current efforts are to the ensure that the MK 6 can reliably operate its critical function through the year 2042. This includes replacing 1980s electronics with new technology," Granchelli said.
The system is for Trident II missiles that were developed in the late 1980s with a long-range and highly precise guidance system that allows for first-strike capability. The missile is considered one of the most important part of the country's nuclear arsenal.
The $494 million is a base contract with unexercised options that can be funded annually.
Draper is a nonprofit organization that provides research and development for multiple government agencies including NASA, the Air Force and the Navy. The laboratory has a satellite location on Merrill Road.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. Department of Defense announced Monday that the city will complete 11 percent of work for a $494 million missile-building contract for the Navy.
Charles Stark Draper Laboratories, based in Cambridge, received the $494,257,945 contract for guidance systems for Trident II, D5 missiles. Most of the work will be performed at the company's home office but 11 percent will be done at the laboratory's Merrill Road location.
Charles Stark Draper Laboratories, Inc., Cambridge, Mass., is being awarded a $494,257,945 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Trident II, D5 guidance system tactical engineering support and guidance applications program, and life extension development. Work will be performed in Cambridge, Mass. (82 percent); Pittsfield, Mass. (11 percent); Clearwater, Fla. (2 percent); and El Segundo, Calif. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 20, 2016. This contract was not competitively procured. Contract funds in the amount of $83,981,547 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-11-C-0005).
L-3 Communications Corp., Sylmar, Calif., is being awarded a $78,500,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price provisions contract to provide repairs to the TB-23 towed array and purchase the spare subassemblies and parts required to improve maintenance schedules. The contractor, by monitoring work flow, upgrade plans, ships schedules, overhaul, and repair plans, shall anticipate and prepare for repairs as needed to meet the performance goals. The contractor will provide inventory management services to support the timely repairs of the towed arrays and implement overhauls and upgrades as directed by the government. This contract will also require the contractor to manage spare parts and optimize purchases to improve maintenance and repair schedules and the operational profile of the Navy’s submarine fleet. Work will be performed in Sylmar, Calif., and is expected to complete December 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity (N66604-11-D-0179).
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $66,180,000 firm-fixed-price order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-11-G-0001) for the procurement of weapon replaceable assemblies and other complex parts for use in retrofitting F/A-18C/D aircraft; 62 for the government of Finland, and 33 for the government of Switzerland. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (44.8 percent); St. Louis, Mo. (26.8 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (14.9 percent); Oakland, N.J. (6.4 percent); Grand Rapids, Mich. (3.3 percent); Butler, N.J. (1.3 percent); Sylmar, Calif. (1 percent); Killdeer, N.D. (0.5 percent); Mesa, Ariz. (0.4 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (0.3 percent); Wallingford, Conn. (0.2 percent); and Horsham, Pa. (0.1 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the governments of Finland ($44,598,959; 67 percent) and Switzerland ($21,581,041; 33 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin, Mission Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $65,636,395 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-5110) for production of the Aegis Weapon System, tooling, test equipment, and associated technical services for the Aegis ashore test site at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (87 percent), and Clearwater, Fla. (13 percent), and is expected to be completed by October 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Ind., is being awarded a $48,981,414 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-07-C-0060) for the procurement of 24 AE1107C engines for the Air Force CV-22 aircraft (14 spares and 10 Lot 15 installs). Work will be performed in Oakland, Calif. (70 percent), and Indianapolis, Ind. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
EDO Communications & Countermeasures Systems, Thousand Oaks, Calif., is being awarded a $17,092,500 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-6311) for the production and support of 265 JCREW 2.1 radio-controlled improvised explosive device (RCIED) electronic warfare (CREW) systems to Australia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Vehicle mounted CREW systems are one element of the DoD’s Joint Counter RCIED Electronic Warfare program. Spiral 2.1 CREW systems are vehicle mounted electronic jammers designed to prevent the initiation of radio-controlled improvised explosive devices. This contract is for the urgent procurement and support of CREW systems, to be used by Australian forces. The Navy manages the joint CREW program for Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Joint IED Defeat Organization. The contract is for option P00089. Work will be performed in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and is expected to be completed by June 2011. Contract Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales to Australia. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Robertson Aviation, LLC, Tempe, Ariz., is being awarded a $16,830,672 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-08-D-0009) to exercise an option for the procurement of V-22 mission auxiliary fuel tanks, refueling kits, and accessories. Work will be performed in Tempe, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in December 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Science Applications International Corp., McLean Va., is being awarded a $13,576,972 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contact with cost-plus-fixed-fee pricing for technical and engineering services in support of the Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance Program (ICTAP) to provide interoperable communications support to first responder agencies. Support will include voice communications interoperability technical assistance to public jurisdictions, including law enforcement, fire protection, medical emergency services, and others involved in preventing or responding to threats to public safety. This one-year contract contains two one-year options which, if exercised, will bring the cumulative value of this contract to $41,778,679. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed Dec. 26, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured and represents a sole-source award, as authorized under 10 U.S.C. 2304 c (1); only one responsible source and no other suppliers or services will satisfy government requirements. The intention to award this sole-source contract was published in the Commerce Business Daily, and posted to the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central website. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific is the contracting activity (N66001-11-D-0051).
Science Applications International Corp., McLean, Va., is being awarded a $10,957,245 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for technical and engineering services in support of the Naval Air Systems Command’s Air Vehicle Engineering Department and the manned flight simulator/air combat environment test and evaluation facilities. Services to be provided support the development and utilization of advanced air vehicle technology for evaluating air vehicle flying qualities and controllability, developing simulation software, and building prototype simulations. The estimated level of effort is 94,970 man-hours. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be completed in December 2011. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; one offer was received. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-11-D-0030).
Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $9,077,929 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of 14 support equipment workarounds for organizational- and intermediate-level maintenance in support of the MV-22 and CV-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Amarillo, Texas, and is expected to be completed in December 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $599,607 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-11-D-0002).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, N.Y., is being awarded a $7,350,000 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee contract (N00019-08-C-0027) for non-recurring efforts associated with productionization of drawing changes in support of E-2D advanced Hawkeye aircraft production. Work will be performed in Bethpage, N.Y. (71.5 percent), and St. Augustine, Fla. (28.5 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $1,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Information Systems Worldwide Corp., Arlington, Va., was awarded a $23,625,517 contract to conduct gap filling research and enhance the existing software architecture to search information; rapidly acquire new contextual information; and deliver timely across domains. This research will support and enhance the currently analytic workflow and provide enhanced sharing of information. At this time, $4,049,359 has been obligated. Air Force Research Laboratory/RIKE, Rome, N.Y., is the contracting activity (FA8750-11-C-0045).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., Hurst, Texas, is being awarded a maximum $10,010,693 firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for prop rotor gearboxes used in support of MV-22 helicopter. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Marine Corps. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is Oct. 31, 2013. The Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPRPA1-09-G-004Y-5638).
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — More than a year after announcing the construction of a BJ's Wholesale Club on Hubbard Avenue, the Braintree developer secured a $9.2 million construction loan for the project this weekend.
Reported on Monday by Waltham-based Bostonsf.com, Cape Breton Corporation and Saxon Partners worked with real estate intermediary Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P. to get the loan through Sovereign Santander Bank.
The developers plan to build a 85,188-square-foot freestanding building and fueling station behind Berkshire Crossings.
The project was announced in October of 2009 when Robert MacPherson, president of Cape Breton, said the group will begin the formal permitting process aiming to break ground in 2010. It will be the county's first BJ's club and City Hall said it would create about 120 new jobs. The closest BJ's clubs to Berkshire County are in Greenfield, Springfield and Albany, N.Y.
BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. is a leading operator of membership warehouse clubs in the East. The company, now in its 25th year, currently employees more than 20,000 team members and operates 180 clubs in 15 states from Maine to Florida.
Formed in 1998, Saxon Partners is a retail and residential developer focused on the New England region and Cape Breton Corporation is a real estate development company specializing in the site acquisition and local permitting of retail buildings and shopping centers.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Morningside Initiative is hosting a meeting of the Tyler Street Business Group on Tuesday, May 11, at 7:30 a.m. at the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority office, 81 Kellogg St.
The purpose of the meeting is to give support to the business community on Tyler Street and Dalton Avenue, and to give them a voice in shaping the future of their community by helping promote its positive attributes, while increasing quality of life.
The Pittsfield Police Department and city councilors will be in attendance to answer questions. This meeting is open to anyone who runs a business on Tyler Street and Dalton Avenue. The Morningside Initiative's mission is to preserve and restore the integrity of the neighborhood and empower residents.
We show up at hurricanes, budget meetings, high school games, accidents, fires and community events. We show up at celebrations and tragedies and everything in between. We show up so our readers can learn about pivotal events that affect their communities and their lives.
How important is local news to you? You can support independent, unbiased journalism and help iBerkshires grow for as a little as the cost of a cup of coffee a week.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Morningside Initiative is hosting a meeting of the Tyler Street Business Group on Tuesday, May 11, at 7:30 a.m. at the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority office, 81 Kellogg St. 
