From the BCCT.
High school renovation on schedule
Officials are closely watching the contingency fund, which is down to about $248,000 from $3.2 million.
By RACHEL CANELLI
Days, demolition and dollars — that’s what construction officials said they’re focusing on in the final months of the Neshaminy High School project.
With more than 122 weeks completed, and less than 46 left to go, administrators reported to the Neshaminy school board Wednesday night that the major renovation plan is on schedule.
Besides keeping an eye on remaining demolition and abatement work, officials said they’re closely watching the district’s contingency fund.
That account started at roughly $3.2 million to cover any additional work for bidders and any unforeseen costs, such as the climbing wall, which required reinforcements in the structural steel, said business administrator Joseph Paradise.
Now, the contingency is at about $248,000, said Damion Spahr, project executive for Reynolds, the firm directing the renovations.
“We’ve managed it conservatively because we didn’t want anyone to think that there was extra money out there,” Spahr reported to the board. “Is that enough? We don’t know, but we do believe that it’s plenty to get through the rest of construction. We just need to continue to hold back spending.”
More than $500,000 of the fund has been used to meet Middletown mandates, including roadwork to Old Lincoln Highway. Officials said they were withholding $100,000 for possible contractors’ claims and another $50,000 in case they needed to pave a gravel lot behind the Middletown school.
“We don’t know if when we tear down buildings we’ll find something that we don’t know is there,” said Spahr. “I’d like to see more in [the contingency], but we’re still in a manageable position. Things are going to come up. Our goal is to do what we need to and hopefully have something left.”
If the township requires the back lot to be paved, and what’s remaining in the fund can’t bear that last piece, the district and construction officials will have to look at other ways to deal with it.
While a few board members, like William Spitz, said they’re concerned about possibly having to pave that lot, other officials, including board member Ritchie Webb, said with Reynolds involved, they’re confident that there won’t be a problem.
Friday, November 14, 2008
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Check out the comments from this article.....
- Strange, isnt it?
(11/14/2008 )
Middletown requires Neshaminy to do road work as part of the permit process. Yet, they allow St Mary Hospital, the largest employer in Bucks County, to constantly expand, yet fail to have them do anything to improve traffic conditions. What hypocrites.
Bucked Off - Obviously not on budget
(11/14/2008 )
I realize a contingency fund is there for unexpected costs, but this has been totally miss managed.
The district paying double time to rip up and redo tile when they (Neshaminy itself) decided to change locker locations and wanted the floor pattern to match correctly.
Trying to cut the costs of the project by eliminating the proper steel beams in the climbing gym, then having to pay double time to put them back in. Some may claim that the climbing gym is a luxury, but the area set aside would have been a waste of space because it had been laid out for that purpose.
To save costs the tiles being laid are so cheap and soft that they are already denting and cracking from the chairs and desks (just about a year old at this point).
Just so they could stay "on schedule" they again payed double time to have workers do double shifts to get the bleachers in the gym finished for the start of school.
Basically those in charge of this project are feeding you a bed of lies. Sure they are somewhat on time and close to budget. What they aren't telling you is the when we set out we would be getting the quality of a BMW, but we have since had to cut features and quality just to get a Pinto at the same price.
James - New high school renovations
(11/14/2008 )
A compromise with Middletown can result in the paving work deferred one or two years when money flows in the budget and the paving work can be done as a maintenance expenxe, versus a construction issue.
It is important to keep the contingency fund at 248K but try to seek a donation from the contractors of small things. Even to ask the local Home Depot for donation of small cost items and better still, ask companies that make the items to consider a donation to the school district on prototypical grounds so that others can see how the item works in school conditons. The installation cost should not be that much once the item arrives fully donated.
Final advice, try to double the contingency fund to 550K if cash can be found or defer some of the needed work to one or two years thereafter as a maintenance need.
Keep up the great work you are doing on the high school!
Gabriel - When is the money going to flow in?
(11/14/2008 )
Investments are down, the teachers contract is still in limbo, state funding may be slashed. James, when is money going to "flow in" to the budget? I appreciate your willingness to think outside the box, but the truth of the matter is that by deferring this now only means something else will get cut later on. Either the paving will never get done, or they'll foresake something else that's needed. For all those who complained about the high school getting run down and complained about previous administrations letting the building go without proper maintenance, this is deja vu. Ten years from now, future taxpayers will be cursing us for not taking care of the building now.
Bucked Off - think back
(11/14/2008 )
Just think, if you add in the contingency fund, the total cost of this "renovation" project is slowly creeping up to the cost of what the new building would have cost. That project would be done (almost a year by this point), and would include entire new facilities and not just facelifted ones.
Oh did I mention when they "renovated" the locker rooms in the old Gym 3 that they just put new lockers and paint on the wall. The decades old tile is still there. They even left the 40 year old tile in the shower (that is brown though it was once white).
Can we send the bill for fixing all the screw ups to Howard Linder? This is his coup de gras for saving us all money afterall.
Gabriel - We drank the Kool Aid, Bucked Off
(11/14/2008 )
That retired teacher you mentioned told us all that it would never cost us more than $60 million for a renovation that would be good as new. The community believed him and voted down a new building. So if you compare the current $80 million budget against the "will never exceed $60 million" guarantee, this project is 33% over budget. Now we're fighting over paving a gravel road. Neshaminy will never learn.
Mac - And we all know that the new school would of came
(11/14/2008 )
in right on budget, yeah right. Probably would of cost at least 50% more. You know the old saying, figures don't lie, but lairs figure................
Citizen - Build a New School
(11/14/2008 )
All you residents from Flowers Mill and Shady Brook over 55 community who voted for renovations and not a new school. I hate to tell you I told you but I did tell you so. Renovations cost more money thatn a new school. Just remember that when you want a new senior citizen building in Middletown.
Baba - Needs VS Wants!
(11/14/2008 )
Please give me a break, school doesn't need climbing wall, the spoil kids wants the climbing wall. Middletown already is raising taxes, now neshaminy school district will be raising taxes for stupid expenditures such as climbing wall, I am sick and tired of paying for WANTS. Time to control costS. How can Warminster and Newtown borough have no increase in taxes, but middletown and neshaminy always do?
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