Middletown committee reviews $60 million library estimate, schedules July 24 council workshop

The Middletown Library Advisory Committee reviewed a consultant cost estimate on Tuesday for a proposed downtown library and set a July 24 council workshop so council members can ask questions before an expected vote in August. Chair (speaker 1) said the plan will go to the council in August and that a special workshop is scheduled for July 24 at 5:30 p.m.

Ramona, a committee staff member, told the group the packet included a comprehensive estimate produced with O and G Industries covering hard construction and soft costs, including design fees, moving and temporary location expenses. "That estimate that you have in front of you is comprehensive of a total project cost," Ramona said, offering to provide further detail to council members.

Mark Sedenski of O and G Industries, who led the estimating work, said the team visited the site and built the number to reflect the project’s constrained downtown footprint and renovation needs. He noted Manchester’s new library was an all-new build and therefore not an apples-to-apples comparison: "Manchester Public Library was entirely new … This job’s a little different. You have an even tighter site in a tighter neighborhood," he said. Sedenski said Manchester’s budget was about $53,000,000 and construction came in near $41,000,000 (figures described in the meeting as approximate) but added the renovation portion for Middletown drove up the per-square-foot number.

Committee members questioned why the committee’s conceptual estimate was about $1,000 per square foot while Manchester’s cost appeared lower. Sedenski said the team added roughly $340 per square foot for the renovation portion and included escalation assumptions (about 4.5 percent) and moving costs. He told the committee the estimate includes $620,000 to cover relocation, storage and temporary space, and that the team used a planning rental rate of $20 per square foot per year for Middletown when calculating temporary occupancy costs.

The consultants also said they are researching grants and incentives to mitigate costs. Ramona and Silver Petrucelli staff said the project team has discussed potential incentives from Eversource for energy-related work and possible matching grants from the State Historic Preservation Office for restoration of the former church and the Hubbard Room.

On schedule, the chair said a town hall will not appear on the ballot this year and that the project will instead move through a council workshop in July and an August council vote. Ramona said the team will send materials to bond counsel to draft bond ordinance language and a resolution providing for a referendum so those documents are ready before the finance/government meeting on July 30.

Budget and contract status were discussed: Ramona said just over $26,000 remains unencumbered from the committee’s original $200,000 appropriation and that the existing contract with Silver Petrucelli includes amounts for additional hourly work, so the committee likely will not need to add funds for upcoming presentations.

Votes at a glance: The committee approved the minutes from May 20 by voice vote, "Passes 4 to 0." No other formal votes were taken at the meeting.

Next steps: The committee will present draft materials and renderings at the July 24 council workshop; the council is expected to consider the project in August. The advisory committee’s next meeting is scheduled for July 22.