SHARON Cost goes up for work on city building

The scope of the work changed, and so did the cost.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- The cost to finish improvements that started at the city building four years ago has gone up.
Architect Greer Hayden of HHSDR of Sharon told city council this week that the cost would be around $715,000.
That is up considerably from Hayden's estimate of $460,000 in September 2001, and it's a lot higher than the $175,000 the city had set aside for some of the work from a bond issue in late 2002.
Funds earmarked
The city earmarked $2 million of that bond issue for capital improvements with $1 million of that to go for street and curb improvements, $650,000 for a replacement of the library parking deck, $50,000 to improve the library elevator and $175,000 to complete renovation of the city building's heating and cooling systems.
The city has already spent $515,000 for major roof repairs at the city building in 1999 and improvements to the heating and air-conditioning systems in 2000.
Hayden told city officials in September 2001 that the building needed $460,000 in additional improvements. That included money for the heating and cooling systems, $220,000 for new ceilings and interior lighting and $65,000 to modernize the elevator.
Scope changed
He told council Thursday that the scope of the project has changed somewhat and the price has gone up.
He estimated the heating and cooling work at $205,000, the new ceilings and interior lighting at $300,000 and the upgrading of external lighting at $115,000. There will be about $95,000 more in architectural and other costs, he said.
"It's like sticker shock on a new car," said Fred Hoffman, council president, as Hayden revealed his figures.
This is a project that may have to be done in phases, Hoffman said.
Michael Gasparich, city finance director, said there's still about $1 million left in the bond money capital improvement line item, but the library project still has to come out of that amount, leaving only about $350,000 available for the city building work.