Niagara Falls schools near completion of $29.3 million capital program; board approves cost-reducing change orders
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Summary
District staff told the Board the bulk of a $29.3 million capital program is finished, with secured vestibules, HVAC and electrical upgrades, a greenhouse and a Walk of Fame. Board approved change orders that reduce the project budget and authorized remaining close-out steps tied to state reimbursement.
The Niagara Falls City School District Board of Education heard an update from district project staff that the district’s $29,300,000 capital program is largely complete and approved change orders that reduce the overall project cost.
During a presentation, the district’s project presenter, Stu, said, “The Evolfer project for all intents and purposes is done,” and described remaining punch-list items, warranty fixes and a small set of outstanding installations that must be finished before final retainage is released.
The update listed completed work across the district, including secure vestibules in roughly a dozen buildings, HVAC upgrades at Gaskill and LaSalle, new electrical service at those schools, repaving and striping of a bus loop, a greenhouse build-out, and a new boiler in the administration building. The work included preservation of historical storefronts at several schools and installation of additional smoke/fire detection devices in some air handlers; one such device addition was identified as about $2,200.
Board members were told one Walk of Fame panel required reconstruction after material failure and that the district sent the wall back to the manufacturer rather than accept multiple patches. Cooper Sign was named as the local installer for the Walk of Fame plaques; the district said a union carpenter will assist under the project labor agreement. The greenhouse still requires shades that will cover roughly 60 percent of the glazing; district staff said those shades and a few punch-list items must be finished before the district releases any retainage.
District staff told the board the funding mechanism is state aid reimbursement: the district must file final paperwork to claim an expected 98% reimbursement, with the remaining 2% as local share. Becky, a district staffer, was named as the person who will file the reimbursement paperwork; board members were told the filing must be submitted by the October 1 portal deadline to secure state aid for the work.
On the consent agenda the board approved a set of change orders (agenda items 627–629) that the district described as reductions to the project budget totaling $127,041.04 — i.e., funds the district expects not to spend. The district also approved a series of contractor payment applications for companies tied to the project (Danforth, Fry Electric, Scraffari Construction, MKS Plumbing, Johnson Controls and others) as part of regular contract close-out.
Presenters praised the contractors and the use of local labor under the project labor agreement. District staff also flagged that, as this capital project closes, a new referendum-sized capital project list — including gym floor work — is forming and may be needed within the next 12–18 months.
The board’s action on the change orders and the approvals of contractor payments were recorded on the meeting roll calls. Staff emphasized that final completion steps (shades, Walk of Fame wall installation, small punch-list work and balancing) must be finished to close out the contract and to submit the district’s final reimbursement paperwork.
Remaining work and the state filing deadline make the next 30 days a critical period for finalizing and documenting the project for reimbursement.
