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Commission grants Buildings & Grounds 10% contingency for 900 Concourse remodel after staff outlines change orders
Summary
County buildings director told commissioners the 900 Concourse remodel has incurred multiple change orders and that industry-standard contingency (8–10%) would be appropriate; commissioners approved a 10% contingency authority to cover outstanding items and expected extras.
The Pennington County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 4 authorized Buildings & Grounds to use a 10% contingency for the 900 Concourse remodel project after Director Davis Purcell outlined multiple change orders and newly discovered work.
Davis Purcell told commissioners the county’s initial contingency had been 3% of the project but that typical remodels require 8–10% because demo often reveals hidden conditions. He listed change orders and work that increased costs: additional recessed floor boxes and slab cutting, civil modifications to a second approach, fire suppression upgrades where previously only one-third of the building was brought up to code, added landscaping to meet city review, north parking-lot drainage and catch-basin work, IT cable trays and terminations, new sanitary sewer tie-in work, added electrical for audio-visual systems, and ballistic-resistant panels and swing gates at the dais. Purcell said outstanding PRs (pending change requests) totaled roughly $260,006.49 and the total outstanding requests plus CO4 (a carpet change order previously approved by the commission) amounted to about $592,551.
Commissioners discussed the per-square-foot cost and a commissioner noted that remodeling the existing 76,000-square-foot building at about $8.50 per square foot is economical compared with new construction. Multiple commissioners said a 10% contingency is within industry norms for large renovations and moved to approve the spending authority. The motion carried.
Nut graf: The contingency authority gives Buildings & Grounds the ability to proceed with approved change orders and to address additional, common renovation discoveries without repeated emergency requests to the full board. Staff will report contingency use and change-order details to the commission in follow-up project updates.
What the motion does: Commissioners authorized a 10% contingency on the remodel project and directed the department to track change orders and report back. Purcell said additional PRs remain under consideration and that he will limit requests where possible.
Ending: Commissioners asked that the Buildings & Grounds director provide monthly updates on spending and contingency use for the project.
