School building committee outlines three consolidated-school options, estimates town share of roughly $9.4M–$10.0M

The Willington School Building Committee on Wednesday presented three consolidated pre-K–8 options and walked residents through cost, reimbursement and schedule implications. Chair Jim Marshall and project principal Jeff Wazinski said the committee’s analysis includes a renovate-as-new scenario, new construction on the existing Hall Memorial site and new construction on adjacent parcels.

Jeff Wazinski gave the high-level figures: for a roughly 105,000-square-foot building the estimated total project cost for one example option is about $96,800,000, and the team modeled state reimbursement rates in the 93–95% range. That produces an estimated town share of roughly $9.4 million to $10.0 million after state reimbursement, depending on phasing, site work and eligible-cost calculations. “For a 105,000 square foot building, the estimated total project cost … is about $96,800,000,” Wazinski said during the presentation.

The consultants cautioned that the state’s determination of whether a project qualifies as “renovate as new” matters: if new construction proves more economical during final design, the effective reimbursement could decline substantially. The committee also emphasized that longer phasing raises bid prices and soft costs, which is why renovation (phased over 3.5–4 years) and new construction (about 18–24 months) show different town-share outcomes.

The meeting materials, including a 16-page FAQ and links to the underlying analyses, will be posted on the project website and mailed to residents. The committee said community polling on Aug. 4 and Aug. 9 will inform the SBC recommendation on Aug. 10, with a public hearing Sept. 8 and a referendum tentatively scheduled for Sept. 29.