Council authorizes redevelopment commission to spend up to $1.8 million in change orders for Arcadia Drive public works building

The Columbus City Common Council voted to authorize the Redevelopment Commission to approve expenditures over $500,000 for change orders on the 1350 Arcadia Drive Public Works facility project.

Redevelopment and public works staff described unexpected conditions discovered after acquiring and beginning work at the Arcadia Drive building. Heather Pope and Brian Burton told council that mechanical rooftop units (RTUs) are nonfunctional in places and that the building would benefit from upgraded HVAC, additional ceiling fans in garage areas, and new IT and security infrastructure. The largest cost driver is a full roof replacement. Staff recommended a multi‑ply (Garland) roofing system, citing a higher initial cost but lower lifecycle maintenance and greater resiliency to rooftop traffic and service activity.

Project team members and contractors explained the options. A single‑ply roof was estimated at about $650,000 initially with a 20‑year useful life and higher long‑term maintenance, producing an estimated 30‑year lifecycle cost of about $1.6 million. The suggested multi‑ply system has a higher initial estimate of about $1.2 million and lower maintenance, producing an estimated 30‑year lifecycle cost of about $1.3 million; staff argued those lifecycle savings and improved resiliency justified the larger initial investment. Staff requested additional funding not to exceed $1,805,781 to address RTU replacement/removal, five large ceiling fans, IT/data/camera/key access infrastructure (estimated $300,000), and the roof replacement.

Redevelopment staff and contractors noted the timing advantage of replacing the roof while the redevelopment commission still controls the project and while the building is unoccupied so hot‑asphalt work can proceed without staff exposure to fumes. Staff said two approved Garland installers operate locally and the material/manufacturer warranty includes an annual inspection during the 30‑year warranty period.

Council discussion endorsed proceeding with the recommended multi‑ply roof system. A motion to pass the resolution authorizing the Redevelopment Commission to expend funds for the change orders was moved and seconded and the matter advanced in the meeting with council assent.

Why this matters: the vote provides the redevelopment commission authority to cover larger-than‑expected project costs and aims to avoid repeated roof work or premature failure by installing a higher‑resilience roof system now. Staff said doing the roof now allows the city to use TIF (redevelopment) dollars rather than the general budget later.

Next steps: Redevelopment will handle procurement and contractor selection consistent with specified Garland product requirements and local installer options; staff said formal contractor bids and final contract awards will follow the procurement process and that IT and other line items are estimated NTE amounts pending final bids.