The cost estimate for the Newtown High School auditorium renovation project, Public Building and Site Commission Chair Robert Mitchell and Diversified Project Management's Geralyn Hoerauf told the Board of Education at its meeting Tuesday, March 15, has been reworked.

With the cost estimate revision, the project's priorities will be completed within the scope of the $3.6 million budget, according to the presentation.

The update came after the full project, which included "wish list items," was estimated to cost $6.2 million.

Mr Mitchell said a request was made of the architect to scope the cost of all aspects of the proposed auditorium project, including items that were known to not be within the project's budget.

After a March 1 Public Building and Site Commission meeting, Mr Mitchell told The Bee, the challenge was for project designers and local officials to begin crafting an alternate plan that will complete required work, while leaving the facility with expandable functionality for things like stage lighting systems or other backstage features to be phased in later.

"We are treating it like a master plan, so we would know over time that we could add more things to the [capital improvement plan]," said Mr Mitchell at the board meeting.

The "key items" - such as replacing seats, making the space compatible with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), replacing acoustics, and making the auditorium safe - is part of the rescoped budget plan, Mr Mitchell said.

Ms Hoerauf said the project is "closing out the design and development phase. So at this point we have programmed out all the owner wish lists, programmed all the necessary components that need to go in the project, done a number of schematic design alternatives to show how we could address the ADA compliance issues, and also gone into design development, which is where a lot of the details … that enable the construction manager to put a construction cost estimate on this phase."

The most recent cost estimate is Newfield Construction's third for the project so far, according to Ms Hoerauf. She added another cost estimate will be completed when further details are known before construction budget documents will be approved by the Public Building and Site Commission and before bids go out to subcontractors.

Ms Hoerauf said it is a "working budget and working scope in order to continually assess the priorities of the user group and also see where we get best value for the $3.6 million."

The total $3.6 budget will not change, Ms Hoerauf said, adding the budget includes roughly $500,000 million for theater equipment and $300,000 for contingencies.

Conceptually, Ms Hoerauf said the project is the same as how it was originally proposed, but details of how it will be completed have been further determined.

Mr Mitchell said the biggest difference is the auditorium will now have shallower seating than originally designed, but sight lines will still be a priority.

The stage will not be raised, according to Ms Hoerauf, because it would have been a large cost in the budget. The decision was made after talking with district staff and design consultants, Ms Hoerauf said, and other options were looked at for the design.

To make the stage accessible for all students, and meet ADA compliance, Mr Mitchell said a lift will be installed at a backstage entrance.

Mr Mitchell said he has faith in Newfield Construction as the project's construction manager, and told the board the project will not go over its $3.6 million budget.

The board approved a demolition package and approved cost estimates for the first phase of demolition, which will both go through an approval process with the state. Both motions passed in 6-1 votes, with Board of Education member Andrew Clure voting against the motions.

The demolition documents, once through the full approval process, Ms Hoerauf explained, will allow soft demolition of the current auditorium to begin in May, with further demolition happening at the end of the school year.