Downes Construction Co., construction managers for the new firehouse project, presented a $9.3 million cost estimate to the Firehouse Building Committee Wednesday night. The estimate is the first of two and still included items that fire department members had already considered removing.
Downes representative Jeffrey Anderson, vice president of preconstruction, led the committee through the estimate, saying the figure would be refined after the building committee decides which items it will remove or change.
A list of 13 areas for possible reduction was presented, but no price tags were attached.
First Selectman Matt Riiska said, “We’re still hammering everything out. We removed the stone veneer and some windows—originally the whole back part of the building was glass—and we’ve talked about changing the flooring in the meeting room. The architects put in a lot of costs for kitting out the kitchen and some of the guys are looking at used commercial equipment.”
Another cost reduction would come from removing the windows at the top of the hose tower, replacing them with siding that gives the illusion of windows. The committee also nixed a decorative drop to the roof on the back side of the building to lessen labor costs.
“One of the big things is the three-bay garage,” Riiska said. “We are looking at a Morton Building, which is basically a prefabricated steel building that you can dress up. Most industrial buildings are built that way.”
He said Downes will go over the possible reductions with the architects next week and the building committee will meet to discuss them late in the month or in early October.
Anderson warned that contractors are extremely busy and that it might be difficult to find the various kinds of equipment needed for the firehouse. The town wants to go out to bid after Thanksgiving.