Acella Construction selected for $2.5 million Old Derby Academy restoration project

Acella Construction Corp. was selected as the construction manager for the renovation and restoration of Old Derby Academy and Hingham Heritage Museum, a $2.5 million project. The project is scheduled to begin in September 2015 and should take one year to complete. Sally Weston Associates designed the restoration and renovation plans. Ryan Klebes, senior project manager at Acella, will serve as the lead on this project. Acella and the Hingham Historical Society will bring Hingham's history to life year-round with a project to renovate and restore Old Derby Academy, one of the town's most historic landmarks. The "Hingham Heritage Museum and Visitor Center" will be a climate-controlled, museum-quality exhibition and programming facility. Acella's project team, with expertise in local cultural and historic projects, won the unanimous support from the board of the Hingham Historical Society. The project will include a new 4,600 s/f addition and the repair/restoration of foundations, windows, chimneys and other parts of the 1818 building. It will also enlarge the Visitor Center, expand the collections storage and workspace areas for volunteers and staff, and create an outdoor program event space for up to 200 guests. "This is the most ambitious and exciting project ever undertaken in the Society's 100-year existence," said Mike Studley, president. "We are delighted to be working with a contractor with Acella's credentials and experience and we know the museum will be a real attraction for South Shore residents." "We are honored and excited to be entrusted with this historical project, and with a building that is such a landmark for the Hingham community," said Dave Dirubbo, president of Acella.