Council Rock School District Facilities Committee members on May 1 reviewed two distinct order-of-magnitude cost scenarios for renovating the Chancellor Center, an administrative building that consultants estimate at 35,000 square feet. The committee asked staff to return with a clarified “warm, safe and dry” price and an intermediate option that would address work that must be completed while staff are relocated.

Why it matters: The Chancellor Center houses central administration functions and has known water infiltration and HVAC problems. The committee must weigh lower-cost stabilization work against a full renovation that would require temporary relocation of staff and significantly higher borrowing or grant-seeking.

Doug Taylor, CHA Consulting, presented the cost workups and said the figures are “order of magnitude pricing” based on the scope the board previously discussed. Taylor said the full renovation estimate — which assumes a design team approval in June 2025 and a construction start in mid-2026 — carries a construction-only cost of roughly $13.2M; when typical soft costs and contingencies are added the total reaches about $17.2M, and after escalation to the midpoint of construction the range is “in the 18.1 to $18,400,000.” He also said the presentation included a placeholder for phasing costs to lease temporary office space during the 1.3–1.4 year construction period.

Board members repeatedly asked for a clearer smaller-scope estimate tied specifically to the district’s capital improvement plan items (water infiltration, foundation work, HVAC replacement). Several asked for a version of the budget that only addresses the “warm, safe and dry” items that would restore usable space in the basement and stop active water intrusion. Taylor and district staff agreed to deliver that number at the next meeting and to provide an intermediate scope that would include work that must be done while the staff are relocated.

On contingency and risk: Board member Mike Tate and others flagged the district’s 5% construction contingency as low for an historic building with unknown conditions below grade, particularly if underpinning or unexpected structural repairs are required. Taylor said the current estimates include a 30% allowance for fees and contingencies on top of the construction line, and that a higher construction contingency (for example 10%) would be recommended after further investigation and once a final scope and contractor investigations are completed.

Grant prospects and timing: District staff said they are pursuing federal Community Project Funding through the congressional office to seek grant support for Chancellor Center repairs and that any award would likely be “several million — 4 to 7 million,” but staff cautioned that grants are uncertain and that timetables can stretch into the next fiscal year. Committee members emphasized planning on the assumption of no grant funding while continuing to pursue possible awards.

Program and adjacency questions: Members and administrators discussed whether a full renovation could reconfigure office adjacencies to improve day-to-day efficiency. Taylor said programmatic meetings with each department would be required to determine whether the building could accommodate all needs or whether a different property or expansion would be required.

Next steps: The committee directed staff and consultants to prepare a separate “warm, safe and dry” budget line item, to provide an intermediate scope that covers work that must be done while occupants are relocated, and to clarify the line-item breakdowns (soft costs, allowances, temporary relocation) for the full renovation estimate. No formal vote or binding financial commitment was taken; consultants characterized the presented figures as preliminary budget planning numbers.