Crime lab plans change due to cost

The plans have been significantly revised as a result of bids coming in much higher than expected for the renovation of the old L.E. Cox Building at 440 E. Tampa St.

“Our target was somewhere around $4 million,” said Phil Broyles, the city’s assistant director of public works for operations. “The base bids came in around $6.4 million, and then there was another $1.1 million that was for alternates, so to do everything would have been about $7.5 million.”

Broyles attributed the increased cost to two factors: continually rising costs of building materials due to rebuilding in the Gulf Coast region and expansion in China, and the number of other city projects currently under way.

The lab’s new design features less expensive types of mechanical systems and finishes inside the building. It also does not include a wall of windows from the original design, for which bids came in at about $750,000.

The changes push back the construction timetable. Broyles said the project, which is expected to take about 15 months, should now start in April, which would make it complete by summer 2008 – about four months later than originally planned.

See SBJ's Jan. 15 issue for more on this story and other City Council news.