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Board hears Farragut restoration progress, unexpected work raised project costs
Summary
Designers told the board the rapid Farragut restoration produced major discoveries — exposed ceilings, subfloor repairs and additional systems work — expanding the project beyond the $2.5 million identified earlier; the team described phased reoccupation and a March bid timeline for Proposition 1 packages.
Design consultants and district leaders updated the Hastings-on-Hudson Board on the Farragut restoration and related bond planning during the Jan. 13 meeting, describing a fast-moving, unplanned project that revealed additional structural and systems needs.
Presenters said initial urgent repairs were estimated at about $2.5 million for items identified in the building condition survey, but that the scope grew as crews uncovered concealed damage and older construction techniques. One speaker noted a separate fire-suppression upgrade and other systems work that was not included in the original $2.5 million figure; presenters emphasized that some aesthetic items were deferred while life-safety and instructional-space issues were prioritized.
The team showed recent photos, reported that the upper two floors will be cleared and ready for reoccupation within days after final inspections, and outlined a phased plan (fifth graders first, other grades phased in later) and a planned community celebration date that may shift depending on punch-list items and inspections. They also flagged a March 16 target for early bidding on athletic-field work within Proposition 1, while promising public meetings on specifications before any bid package is issued.
Trustees raised questions about design details — including the elevator that currently accesses the roof via classroom circulation — and safety measures (key-card access, monitored routing). Board members also asked the project team to coordinate landscape decisions with local pollinator and native-plant groups.
Administrators said some costs were funded through emergency and insurance processes and that the district worked to minimize exposure by using internal facilities expertise and fast-tracking certain decisions. Trustees praised the facilities team and external partners for completing substantial work under difficult, compressed timelines.
