At its August 16 meeting, the Board of Selectmen approved the guaranteed maximum price for the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial, and the sale of Town Hall South, located at 3 Main Street, which housed the former police headquarters along with other town offices.

Selectmen also appropriated $8 million to do HVAC work at Hawley School, which will go before voters on November 2.

The unanimous BOS approval of the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial bids for the project budget means that work can officially begin on the memorial starting August 23. The town received a $2.6 million grant from the state for the project in June of this year.

“It looks good, we’re putting the finishing touches in,” said Rosenthal.

Public Buildings and Site Committee (PBSC) Chair Bob Mitchell said that the committee has been “working quite a while to get the cost of the design within our budget numbers without changing the concept.” Mitchell said the ad hoc memorial committee has “gone back and forth” with the SWA Group architecture firm about how to get the project done. The PBSC was also at the meeting with a quorum and also voted unanimously to approve the GMP.

Rosenthal stated that the construction manager at risk is a delivery method that entails a commitment by the construction manager to deliver a project within a guaranteed maximum price based on the construction documents and specifications at the time of the GMP, plus any reasonably inferred items or tasks.

After going through all of the bids, the contractor, Downes Construction Company, of New Britain, put together the GMP, which gives the final project cost, excluding some soft costs such as owner contingency, legal fees, and architect fees. The total project cost is $3.95 million; however, the GMP approved will be a number that is less than that, accounting for the soft costs.

When the PBSC took on project oversight on behalf of the municipality ahead of preparation for construction, members carried out their duties as they had previously with the Sandy Hook School and the new police station — by starting an ad hoc commission that could meet weekly. The weekly meetings allow work to get done more quickly and efficiently, Mitchell said.

“We call it the Sandy Hook method,” said Mitchell. “It’s worked very well for us, the projects have come in on time and under budget. You can’t do better than that.”

Selectman Maureen Crick Owen asked whether there would be an ad hoc committee, and when she learned that there was, she said that was “perfect.”

With a goal to finish the project next summer and a set opening date of December 14, 2022, ten years on from the tragedy, Mitchell said the PBSC is doing all it can to be efficient, including fast-starting parts of construction prior to final approval of money from the town, and preparing the ground of the memorial for planting next spring.

The memorial will be located at 28 Riverside Road, which also is the base for Newtown Underwater Search And Rescue (NUSAR). The 28 Riverside Road property, long known as SAC Field, held a baseball and soccer field that was utilized by local youth leagues. The property was signed over to Newtown in 2017 by the Sandy Hook Boys’ Social and Athletic Club (SAC) trustees. The site is near the new Sandy Hook School.

Jeff Anderson of Downes said that the company had begun the “methodical process of procuring subcontractors,” and was thoroughly vetting the numbers to ensure that the GMP was “all inclusive.”

Appropriation Going To Voters

The selectmen voted unanimously to appropriate $8 million for the planning, design, engineering, and installation of a ventilation system and HVAC renovations at Hawley School. The appropriation was authorized in the capital improvement plan (2021-22 to 2025-26). The town will issue $8 million in bonds to borrow the amount. Voters will be asked to approve or reject the appropriation on Election Day, Tuesday, November 2.

Mitchell said that the work at Hawley School will also use the “Sandy Hook Model,” with an ad hoc committee that meets weekly to consider job items.

With the Board of Education planning to close the school during work, Mitchell said that the cost of doing the work will be lower.

Anderson said that representatives from Downes had visited the school multiple times to help determine the scope of the work and had based estimates on the school being unoccupied. It has sought some input from contractors with the current market being more expensive for construction materials to “ensure all our assumptions meet expectations.”

“I have high confidence in the budget being voted on tonight,” Anderson said.

Anderson stated that the next steps following the approval, pending voter approval, will be for Downes to develop a detailed bidding and award schedule to secure contractors during the early part of next year and to ensure the procurement of the mechanical parts needed for the job. Work is expected to start June 22.

Rosenthal said that the cost estimates are assuming a level of inflation, and additionally, even though the estimated cost is $7.8 million, the town is seeking a full $8 million to help absorb any unexpected fluctuations in cost.

“If we’re under budget, we won’t spend the extra money,” Rosenthal said.

Selectman Jeff Capeci expressed concerns at skyrocketing construction costs and the fact that Hawley School is “100 years old,” asking if there was confidence that the project’s contingency will cover those costs. Anderson said that various contingencies had been applied to the project to handle those concerns.

“Those concerns are our concerns,” said Anderson. “We made attempts to comfortably cover those numbers. I’m confident we’ll have the job under the $8 million mark.”

Rosenthal also stated that the BOS will talk further in September about using American Rescue Plan funding toward the work.

“We may apply some of that to this project,” said Rosenthal. “We’ll get the numbers to voters so they can make an informed decision about how much to bond.”

Rosenthal said that the appropriation needs to go before the Legislative Council before September 1 and then has to go to the Connecticut Secretary of State to apply to be on the ballot on Election Day.

Sale Of 3 Main Street

The BOS unanimously approved putting 3 Main Street up for sale and to begin marketing the property.

The first selectman said he has been approached confidentially by potential buyers for 3 Main Street, but the town isn’t going to sit and wait for those offers to become formalized.

When formalizing the listing, Rosenthal said, his board will likely consider imposing a deed restriction on the property limiting its future use. Rosenthal hopes that a future occupant or owner will use the building’s current footprint, though the building “needs a facelift.”

“Some sort of commercial reuse would be best, ideally offices, retail, or a combination of those,” Rosenthal said.

If the building does not sell with those deed restrictions, then “anything goes.”

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Reporter Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.