Warwick committee approves Tollgate early-bid packages after bids come in under budget

The Warwick School Committee on May 27 approved early bid packages for the Tollgate High School construction project after hearing that recent bids have come in below budget.

Project staff told the committee the concrete early-bid package came in about $793,000 under the project budget. Committee members were also told a steel bid figure referenced in the meeting reduced projected costs, and that, cumulatively with other bids for the two high-school projects, the district is approximately $6.75 million under budget while retaining roughly $15 million in owner contingency.

Steve Gothberg (transcript spelling varies) of the project team attended to answer questions about procurement and tariff exposure. When a committee member asked whether tariffs on steel imported "from north of the border" could affect pricing, Gothberg said the current contracts would lock prices if the committee approved and confirmed that tariffs appeared to have eased: "the tariffs look uh like they've eased and um they are locked in," the project representative said, while also acknowledging some uncertainty about whether tariffs are assessed at time of import or time of purchase.

Committee members said the under-budget bids and remaining contingencies put the projects "in a pretty good spot" but warned that the trajectory could change. Both the concrete and steel early-bid packages were approved by unanimous recorded voice votes in the meeting.

Committee materials mentioned the approvals are pending any additional RIDE requirements; the project team said moving forward with contracts now helps secure current pricing. The committee did not announce that any contract awards had closed during the public session, and members said they would continue monitoring contingencies and delivery risks such as tariffs.