Consultants tell Banks SD 13 board renovation could cost about $3.9 million more than earlier budget; board weighs options

Consultants advising Banks School District 13 told the board the district—aces a meaningful cost gap between renovating a historic campus building and building new, and urged targeted investigations to narrow uncertain structural and hazardous-materials risks.

"The revised budget estimate ... is about $3,900,000 higher than the previous," said the presenter, summarizing the updated project budget and drawing a distinction between design-level estimates and high-level budgets.

Consultants said mechanical and systems allowances appear low in previous work and recommended adding roughly 20% to mechanical allowances and a 10% project contingency because renovation of an unreinforced, early-20th-century building typically uncovers hidden conditions. One consultant described the physical work likely required: "the majority of the work is in just unearthing, building…