Corrections & Institutions committee reviews FY24-25 capital budget Section 18, flags contingency needs and design‑build juvenile replacement

The Corrections & Institutions committee reviewed Section 18 of the FY24-25 capital budget Thursday, Jan. 23, examining cash‑funded planning, reuse and contingency lines and receiving staff briefings on a range of state facility projects from roofing and parking deck repairs to a proposed design‑build replacement for a juvenile stabilization facility.

Joe Ajah, director for design and construction with Buildings and General Services (BGS), said the cash appropriation supplements previously authorized bond funding and is intended to cover early planning, new space work and unforeseen conditions on renovation projects. "Projects are coming in higher than we expect only because of the bidding climate," Ajah said, and staff want contingency funds to respond when work uncovers unanticipated conditions.

Ajah described the kinds of surprises that can drive contingency spending: unrecorded conditions inside walls, unexpected ground conditions and structural deterioration discovered only after demolition. He used the McFarlane building exterior and roof work as an example, saying crews found rot in integral wood gutters and joists that had to be sistered or replaced after roof removal.

The committee heard details on several specific projects. At 32 Cherry Street and the Church Street parking garage, exposed rebar and corrosion from road salt is causing concrete…