Dear Cromwell Community Members, 

An estimate was completed at the end of Schematic Design and presented to the Building Committee last week. The estimate exceeds the budgeted referendum amount, largely driven by inflation in materials and trade costs. This is one of three planned estimates for the project before going to bid later this year. The estimate was completed by both an independent cost estimator and the project’s construction manager. Both firms came to a similar figure, which was within half a million dollars of each other. The estimators and our project manager have shared that all other school construction projects are facing the same challenge due to the volatility in the construction market. 

Why did the estimate increase from the referendum?

The increases are not driven by design changes from the concept design to today’s schematic design, but rather from the unforeseen and unprecedented inflation and overall construction market. The committee will continue to review ways to reduce the total project costs as we enter the next phase of the project

What’s been done to reduce the project’s total cost?

The committee’s chairperson initiated meetings with the architect to identify cost saving opportunities. The team immediately identified ways to bring down the total size of the building and cost savings associated with abatement. The architect then identified other design changes that will reduce the overall cost, which will be incorporated in the next design phase. These identified changes represent a cost savings opportunity of approximately $4.6 million. 

The sub-committee working with the architect  is also gathering more information and studying further cost reduction opportunities such as a different HVAC system or readjusting the site to not move Herbert Porter Road. 

What’s next?

Town Council will hold a Special Meeting Wednesday, February 8 at 5:30 p.m. to evaluate this new information and determine the next steps. The public is welcome to attend this meeting or view on the Town Council live stream. While there will be no public comments during the Special Meeting, the Council will meet directly following, at 7 p.m, for its regular meeting.  Here,  there will be an opportunity for public comment either in person at the meeting or by emailing the council, prior to the meeting, and asking that your email be read. 

You can view the February 1, 2023 Building Committee meeting and see the architect’s presentation and discussion about the cost estimate here on our YouTube channel. 

You can find additional information on our FAQ page on our website here.