Cost Reductions to be Made Without “Degrading Integrity or Design of Building” (Baker—Lymes’ Senior Center Renovation and Expansion Project Building Committee Chair)
OLD LYME — When the trade bids for the Lymes’ Senior Center Renovation and Expansion Project were opened last Tuesday in Old Lyme Town Hall, the numbers were not encouraging—though not entirely unexpected.
In total, the bids were $1.2 million in excess of the budgeted amount.
Asked her reaction to the bids, the project Building Committee Chair Jeri Baker told LymeLine by phone, “We (the committee) are determined to bring the project in within the cost parameters. The $1.2 million is something we are determined to reduce.”
She explained that the architects, construction manager and building committee would, “Work very quickly and with determination,” to find, “Significant cost savings.” Baker stressed, however that these savings would be achieved without, “Degrading the integrity or design of the building,” and that, “Everything” would be still be at code while occupancy numbers and functionality were retained.
Acknowledging that a “delay is inevitable” in the planned building timeline now, Baker said that the building committee should have a, “Much better handle” on how the project will move forward after their next meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 5 p.m.