Oct. 29--WAVERLY, N.Y. -- Preliminary estimates of the cost of the Village Waverly's project to renovate a former school building are over-budget, according to engineers working on the project.

Staff from Hunt Engineers, whom the village has hired to complete engineering work on the project, presented cost estimates to the village at a recent board of trustees meeting.

Scott Cyr, project manager from Hunt's for the Ithaca Street project, told the board that while the total cost estimate of the project is higher than the $2.9 million the village is authorized by public referendum to spend on the project, the estimate is within a 10 percent "comfort level" to put the project out to bid. Hunt engineers estimated the cost of the project at around $3,177,676. However, in order to get the estimated cost to within 10 percent of the authorized $2.9 million, the firm identified 10 parts of the project as alternates. Those portions of the project, totaling around $326,200 in improvements, include not finishing a planned community center in the building, not adding on extra parking space, not installing some lockers in the police department section, and not adding windows or doors to other parts of the building, not completing some masonry restoration, among other items, Cyr said.

Concerning the possibility of not finishing the community center portion of the building, Mayor Kyle McDuffee said "I don't think this is an option." The public expects the community center to be a part of the building, he said, and residents were excited about the possibility of having a community center during the December 2008 referendum on whether or not to purchase and renovate the former school building for use as the new village hall.

The space meant for the community center, the former school's gymnasium, would have "minimal work" completed in it, such as a sprinkler system installed and minimal heating, ventilation and air conditioning and lighting, to save costs, Cyr said.

Dave Adams of Hunt Engineering said that the village has a few options to bring the project within budget: to either increase the budget or decrease the scope of work to get the project to come in under budget; or to bid the project "as is" and hope that the bids come in under the estimates.

McDuffee said he favored bidding the project as is and hoping for the bids to come in lower. "I think we can stay under $2.9 million," McDuffee said, adding that the village needs to make sure the project is bid out the way they want it to and has to be diligent when the project goes to bid.

Trustee Dave McIsaac asked if the engineering firm could develop a list of items that the village could pull out of the project and complete themselves, such as labor for painting and installation of ceiling tiles. The engineers from Hunt's said they would develop a list of how much money the village could save by using in-kind services on various parts of the project.

The village also voted to hire Mike Steck as the Clerk of the Works for the roof replacement portion of the Ithaca Street project at a rate of $22 an hour. The village had previously approved Steck's employment through Hunt's Engineers as the Clerk of the Works for the project at a rate of $51 an hour. McDuffee said he had talked to Steck and that Steck had agreed to the change.

Brian Bishop can be reached at (570) 888-9652; or e-mail: bbishop@thedailyreview.com.

To see more of The Daily Review or to subscribe to the newspaper, visit http://www.thedailyreview.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, The Daily Review, Towanda, Pa.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

<< -- 10/30/2009>>