The Community Preservation Committee learned on Thursday that the highly anticipated Center School reuse project now is expected to cost at least $6.6 million more than previously estimated.

The CPC in December approved a $2 million request to draw funding from its historical preservation fund in the upcoming fiscal year. It will be placed on the warrant for Annual Town Meeting on May 2 in addition to CPC fund requests from other town entities. The $2 million was expected to cover the demolition of the two additions behind the front structure, which was built in 1928.

The demolition work is the first phase planned for the project, which will be funded via a public-private partnership between the town and the Hopkinton Center for the Arts. Project proponents previously said that performing the demolition work and hazardous materials removal first would make the construction project more appealing to contractors.

The project’s second phase would involve construction of a new building that would house the town’s Parks & Recreation Department and Youth & Family Services. The HCA would have classroom space on the first floor in return for its $4 million investment. Potential exists for the HCA to build a future addition.

Estimate jump concerns members

Permanent Building Committee chair Dan McIntyre told the committee that the original project’s scope was to renovate the 1928 structure to remove hazardous materials. A lobby addition has been planned for the rear. The original estimate of $10 million was not based on any plans, he said.

The demolition was expected to cost $2 million, with the remainder going for the lobby addition, he added.

Now that a full set of architectural schematic designs has been completed, McIntyre said the cost has ballooned to $16.6 million, according to a professional estimate received from architectural firm Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects (GRLA) earlier in the day. The cost includes a contingency fee.

“We don’t have a full understanding of that estimate yet,” noted McIntyre. “We’ve got to really take a deep dive into that estimate to figure out how it got that high.”

The demolition price jumped to $2.2 million, which he said “isn’t that bad.” But the building renovation cost shot up to $14.4 million.

McIntyre said the demolition price was trimmed by $200,000 by not including demo work inside the 1928 structure.

One reason for the price jump is that the slate roof is in worse shape than previously thought. McIntyre said the previous estimate was “based on the assumption that the roof was in good condition.” Upon further inspection, plans were found from 2009 that indicated that the roof was intended to be replaced by the School Department, but only repairs were made. McIntyre explained that the remainder of the money allocated at that time was returned to the general fund.

Said McIntyre: “That’s a $1 million hit to the budget.”

Other numbers that “jumped out” at McIntyre were the estimated price of the elevator now is $250,000, up from $190,000. A bidirectional antenna requested by the town’s information technology department costs $50,000. An emergency generator will cost $300,000.

“The cost per square foot just doesn’t make any sense,” stressed CPC chair Ken Weismantel. “I think that some of the built-ins that are on some people’s wish lists are going to have to go away.”

He suggested having another cost estimator review the project. Other members agreed.

Project’s future questioned

Originally, McIntyre said the intent was to put out one bid for the entire project. Now he asked if the demolition project could be put out to bid, with the building construction bid put on hold until the next funding cycle.

“Are we moving a little bit too fast?” he asked.

“I think it’s going to come down regardless,” said CPC vice chair Eric Sonnett. “Let’s get rid of it.”

The larger issue raised by Steve Levandosky was that the town may balk at funding the project after the demolition work is completed.

McIntyre feared the project may “die on the vine” and that the Select Board might decide to sell the property. Previous attempts to sell it were hampered by the presence of hazardous materials. The demolition work would remove them.

“I think that if CPC puts out the money for the demo that we ought to get a provision that, if we don’t keep the building, we can raze it and make it a park,” Weismantel said.

McIntyre said the Historical Commission “would never approve” the demolition of the 1928 building for a park. It was a condition that the 1928 structure be saved and incorporated into any new construction. The Historical Commission was “adamant” about that, he noted.

Weismantel countered that money from the CPC’s recreation fund could be used for a park.

Under the Community Preservation Act that was signed in 2000, Massachusetts communities may add a surcharge on top of their local property taxes to fund open space, historic preservation, outdoor recreation and affordable housing projects. The current rate for Hopkinton is 2%. At least 10% of CPA funding must be spent on each of these four categories, or buckets, with the rest available for any category. The CPC administers the allocation of these funds based on submitted proposals and makes recommendations for approval at May’s Annual Town Meeting.

Weismantel said the numbers should be reviewed because he was concerned about GRLA “double counting certain things.”

For example, he said an architect overseeing a demo project should not cost $30,000. Also, he pointed out that the budget called for an architect “doing hazmat-type stuff” as well as “hazmat guys doing the same stuff.”

Sonnett suggested that McIntyre raise the amount of the request for FY 27 to “an amount not to exceed $2.4 million.” Weismantel said he would approve that number with the understanding that the committee would “claw back a lot of that.” The CPC approved this in a 7-0 vote.

In a separate 7-0 vote, the committee approved a condition that if the Center School rehabilitation does not move forward, the CPC has the first opportunity to convert the land to recreational space. This would block the Select Board from attempting to sell the property.