Project staff told the Holyoke Public Schools Building Committee that the project budget includes roughly $2.1 million in construction contingency and about $830,000 in owner soft-cost contingency to cover furniture, fixtures, equipment and additional services.

“We have the hard cost construction contingency we have in the agreement is about 2.1 — it's a little over $2,100,000,” Margaret, the project lead, said while reviewing the funding spreadsheet and bid results. She said the bids ultimately yielded buyout savings that were set aside in the project budget to address change orders and other needs.

Chris LeBlanc said change orders in the main build package total about $355,000 to date. Early site-package costs included abatement of vermiculite and related asbestos-containing material discovered in existing walls; the project team said the abatement work netted to roughly $550,000–$600,000 in additional cost within the early site package. Other identified change orders included utility coordination work with Water Works (about $40,000) and discovery and removal of abandoned asbestos piping in excavation work.

Margaret said the owner soft-cost contingency (about $830,000) has been lightly committed so far. The team explained that long-lead FF&E items will be ordered later in the schedule: FF&E purchase orders are expected to be prepared toward the end of February into early March, with first deliveries anticipated in the first week of July. Technology specifications and cut sheets will be prepared after the district’s IT department reviews the technology consultant’s recommendations; technology purchase orders are expected in early spring.

Margaret also described a transformer/procurement item: the total transformer installation and procurement value is roughly $120,000, with only a portion assigned to the owner contingency. The project team said they have been working to keep the change-order rate well below typical statewide averages for school projects and that, at present, the project’s change-order percentage for the build package is under 1%.

Ending: The committee’s subcommittee (Sean Sheedy, Ted and Carl Rossi among others) will continue monthly reviews of change orders and cost-control measures; staff said they will present future budget updates with clearer bid-vs.-budget comparisons when available.