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Pickleweed Preschool design costs rise; city seeks partners to fill $300K–$400K gap
Summary
City staff told the commission that new foundation and floodplain requirements drove up Pickleweed Preschool construction estimates and left the project about $300,000–$400,000 short; staff plan to bid the project and seek partner funding or scope reductions.
City staff told the Park and Recreation Commission on Jan. 15 that Pickleweed Preschool's construction costs came in substantially higher than anticipated after additional site and foundation work was required.
Staff said that new information about floodplain requirements and known site settling increased the need for a concrete slab foundation and related attachments, which pushed building costs higher. "We found out that we did require more significant foundation work," staff said, and later summarized the shortfall: "Right now, without doing any of those cuts, we're probably about 300 to $400,000 short."
To keep the project moving, staff said the plan is to include the classrooms in the base bid and to list other site elements as additive alternates; if bids arrive over budget, the city will decide whether to proceed or trim some scope. Staff said they have reached out to potential community partners and philanthropic funders but no firm commitments have been secured.
The preschool design includes buildings and site improvements (play areas, raised garden beds, engineered shade and hardscape repairs). Staff said they have a priority list to guide any reductions so program quality is preserved where possible and that construction is tentatively scheduled to start in summer 2026 if funding and bids permit.
Commissioners were told the city remains committed to completing the preschool but cautioned that rising costs and budget-season constraints will require conservative planning. Staff will continue outreach for additional funding and return with updates.
