Reply to Murch- Getting screwed again?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Any summary?[/quote]

Sure:

DCPS told the SIT two weeks ago that swing space costs wouldn't come out of the renovation budget...but also that the project is underbudgeted by $10M. So we rallied (thank you to all of the DCUM friends who helped!) and got the budget increased by $10M...only to be told that, actually, we do have to pay for swing space out of the renovation budget. Oops! So the additional $10M will pay for that and some other incidentals, and we're still $10M short.

Why are we underbudgeted? Two reasons: First, because going underground--which is necessary because of the size of Murch's site--is expensive, which everyone knew on day one, and which the Murch SIT discussed with DGS in the early stages of the planning to ensure the budget would accommodate it. Second, because apparently the contractor selection process doesn't actually involve bids. That's right: DGS selects a contractor without asking them to price the project. And guess what? When the contractor priced the project, they said that building underground is expensive--more than the assigned budget.

(We also learned that Lafayette's one-year renovation was budgeted at $78M, and Marie Reed's one-year renovation was budgeted at $61M. Murch's two-year renovation? $68M.)

So the guy from DCPS showed the current edition of the revised plans, aiming to accommodate the reduced budget. They are, to put it mildly, ridiculous. They include features that HAVE ALREADY BEEN REJECTED BY THE HISTORICAL PRESERVATION COMMISSION. So, these plans are total fiction. Not only that, they include TWO surface parking lots and still no space that can accommodate the whole school.

It's a mess, honestly. If we can't rally to get another $10M, I don't see how this project starts in June. [/quote]

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