There have been “no significant change orders” and “no big hits to contingency” on the Hawley School HVAC project, First Selectman Dan Rosenthal reported to the Board of Finance at its October 27 meeting.

With all the demolition and much of the ceiling work done, “most of the unknowns are now known,” said Rosenthal, and where there have been issues, developer Downes Construction Company has found work-arounds.

Work is now being done on deciding where a switch gear, which is part of the building’s power system, will be installed. Rosenthal reported that there are two possible locations it could be installed, with one possibly being “more challenging than the other.” The switch gear will be arriving early in the summer, which is “later than we hoped, but still in enough time,” said Rosenthal.

The town has paid 30% of the bills related to Hawley in terms of equipment and roof work.

“I feared the worst,” said Rosenthal. “I’m not ready to celebrate yet, but so far so good.”

The project has faced some reductions — the originally planned replacement of chillers was removed from the project as it would have used a large amount of the contingency fund. Some of the chillers may be done if money is left over at the end of the project.

According to the minutes of the October 25 Public Buildings & Site Commission meeting, demolitions and hazardous materials abatement in all three sections of the building is completed as well as MEP penetrations and openings, structural steel at the roof and equipment curbing and roofing in two sections of the building.

The switch gear has a current low bid of $36,000 for installation; PBSC members asked if it could be cut to $30,000 but were told that the low bid “is at the bottom line.”

The project is expected to be completed in summer 2023.

Associate Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.