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Corrales council hears report on Old Church restoration as costs rise to $543,148
Summary
Council staff reported that the Old Church restoration’s scope grew after contractors exposed structural damage; change orders and upgrades raised the project cost to $543,147.90, with roughly $33,000 remaining to be raised. The village expects to return the building to village control around Sept. 1.
The Corrales Village Council on Aug. 26 heard a detailed update on restoration work at the Old Church, including photos of cracked adobe walls and a run-through of change orders that drove the project cost well above the original appropriation.
Administrator Ron Curry and staff described discovering additional structural damage after removing surface mud plaster, which required wall stabilization and replacement of outdated attic electrical lines. That work, plus a dedicated audiovisual circuit requested by the Historical Society and upgraded HVAC and wood flooring details, increased the project price to $543,147.90. Curry said the project began with $275,000 from the state capital-outlay appropriation and that the village allocated $200,000 from its budget; the Historical Society contributed about $35,000, leaving an estimated shortfall of about $33,000.
"When we peeled it all down to get to the adobe, the wall doesn't meet the floor anymore," a staff presenter said while showing damage photos and completed repairs. Staff added an $11,000 change order for attic electrical replacement, a $6,700 order for a dedicated AV circuit, a roughly $120,000 HVAC change, about $20,000 to modify subfloor framing and about $3,000 for custom wood registers; these and earlier adjustments produced the $543,147.90 total cited to the council.
Curry told the council the project team tried to preserve historic character — using wood vents and matching flooring where possible — and that the Historical Society and village would continue fundraising for incidentals, including potential transformer replacement and exterior wall remediation. He said the contractor expects to turn the building back over to the village by Sept. 1, though HVAC and final heating work may extend beyond that date.
The council did not take formal action on the project at the meeting; staff said change orders were handled through previously authorized contingency and change-order processes. Council members asked logistical and schedule questions but raised no formal objections in the chamber.
The report provided the council with a clearer accounting of how initial estimates rose as underlying historic conditions were exposed and stabilized. Staff said they will continue coordination with the Historical Society on remaining incidentals and any minor funding gap.
