Cost of new Blakely Elementary rises past earlier estimates

The cost of a new Captain Johnston Blakely Elementary has escalated beyond the Bainbridge Island School District’s initial estimates, according to district officials.

The higher costs have led consultants and district officials to revise the design of the new school, and those involved in the project expect to release further details at a school board meeting later this week.

Funding for a new Blakely Elementary was approved by voters in November 2015 as part of an $81.2 million bond package that will also pay for the new 100 Building at Bainbridge High.

An early study by district consultants had put the project cost of a 65,150 square foot facility at $45.5 million in 2018. The construction cost was estimated at $26.2 million, or $28 million if five additional classrooms were included to reduce class size.

The new estimates on the cost of Blakely Elementary have not yet been publicly released by the school district.

School board officials will get an update at a study session Thursday, Feb. 16.

Blakely Elementary is the only topic on the agenda for the meeting, which starts at 5:30 p.m.

According to the agenda for Thursday’s meeting, the school board members will get a presentation on the schematic design for the new school.

An an agenda note from Tamela Van Winkle, the district’s executive director of Facilities, Operations and Capital Projects, said initial cost estimates for the school’s design were prepared by Robinson Company, a Seattle pre-construction consultant company that provides cost modeling and estimating, and FORMA Construction.

“[Cost] escalation has dramatically impacted the cost of construction since 2015 when project estimates were originally established,” said Van Winkle in the agenda note.

Van Winkle said Mithun, the architect for the project, and the contractor and district officials have reduced the scope of the project, and have looked for cost reductions and made design changes in a way that won’t significantly reduce the educational program at the new school.

Still, more work needs to be done on the budget side, Van Winkle noted in the agenda message.

“To fund the additional cost of construction, adjustments will need to be incorporated into the capital budget,” she added.

The design team for the project will present the schematic design for the school, as well as cost information and timelines, at this week’s work study session.