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Rising contractor and fuel costs push Olentangy High School 5 estimate near $135 million
Summary
The district's business and facilities director told trustees GMP 2 covers major trades and that High School 5 is "trending now is somewhere around $135,000,000," driven by contractor availability, tariffs on steel and fuel costs; trustees discussed cost timing and possible savings from earlier approvals.
Business and facilities director Gordon updated the board on construction progress and procurement risks for the district’s ongoing projects. He said the second Guaranteed Maximum Price package (GMP 2) covers mechanical, electrical and plumbing trades and additional site work and warned bidders are scarce for very large projects, increasing prices when low bidders withdraw.
Gordon summarized drivers pushing the newest high school estimate upward: limited contractor capacity for a 300,000-square-foot building, competition from data centers for labor and contracts, tariffs that increased steel costs and higher fuel costs at job sites. "We're trending now is somewhere around 135,000,000 for high school 5," he said, and noted the district would use contingencies and contract management to limit use of reserves.
He also described wetlands mitigation required by the city of Delaware because site work impacts a creek; the district will purchase mitigation credits to offset wetland impacts. Trustees asked for a concise history of prior high-school builds (Orange, Berlin) and for continued public communication about costs and trade-offs before any funding questions go to voters.
