Caldwell-West voters to decide $8.5 million athletic center upgrade after board presentation

Perrette Sonder architects presented a redesigned plan for the James Caldwell High School field house on Monday evening and said the district will place a bond question on the November 4 ballot to finance the work.

The plan calls for about a 7,000-square-foot single-story addition to the existing field house to add equal men’s and women’s locker rooms, upgraded public restrooms, a trainer’s room near the field and storage. Josh Thompson, senior associate with Perrette Sonder Architects, told the Board of Education the design reduces scale and cost compared with an earlier two-story proposal while meeting accessibility and regulatory requirements.

The work would expand the building footprint toward Westville Avenue but “no closer to the adjacent property line,” Thompson said. The design replaces an on-site shot-put area with a relocated facility and adds a stormwater bio-retention basin to handle increased impervious coverage created by the expansion.

Thompson said the project budget is “just under $8,500,000,” an “all-in” figure that includes construction, contingencies, market escalation, legal and bonding fees, professional services and New Jersey Department of Education review fees. He attributed higher construction costs in part to New Jersey’s prevailing wage requirement for public school projects.

District-commissioned financial estimates project an annual tax impact of about $84 for the average assessed home in the borough of Caldwell and about $83 for the average assessed home in the township of West Caldwell, Thompson said. He described those figures as projections that depend on bond sale timing and interest rates.

Board members and residents asked about cost validation, construction management and environmental testing. A resident who identified himself as Brett Somcher asked whether a separate third-party estimator had checked the architect’s numbers; Thompson said the estimate was prepared by Perrette Sonder based on the firm’s experience and that construction management details had not been finalized but that district staff and consultants would likely manage the work.

Thompson said an asbestos study has been completed and that abatement costs are included in the budget. He also said phase-one work from an earlier March referendum — including air conditioning vestibules, vocational lab renovations and piping infrastructure upgrades — is starting its bidding release this month.

The district will place the question on the regular November election ballot; if voters approve, the board will bond for the work. Thompson said the district does not have the $8.5 million in reserves and that long-term borrowing requires voter approval. The architect will return to the Oct. 27 board meeting for a final public presentation prior to the election, he said.

The board did not take a vote Monday; Thompson’s presentation was informational and followed by audience questions. The board and administration encouraged community members to review materials posted on the district website and to attend the Oct. 27 meeting for a final briefing before the November 4 vote.