New High Schools Cost Study Due End of August

WARWICK, RI — Warwick City Council President Steve McAllister reports the $85,000 independent high school cost analysis report is due at the end of the month.

“We are on target to receive the report around August 21st.  The report will cost $85,000 and Ellana (the company we hired) will review the school department’s plan to build two new high schools for $350 million.  Once the report is received, it will be posted on the city council website,” McAllister said.

The Warwick City Council voted to hire Ellana, Inc. Construction Consultants of New York during the June 26th Warwick City Council meeting. The firm provides cost management services, specializing in project cost estimating, cost certainty and cost control, according to their website.

Last November, voters approved a $350 million bond to replace Toll Gate High and Pilgrim High Schools. The measure passed by a 59.2 percent margin, with 18,057 votes in favor and 12,419 opposed.

The total cost of the Pilgrim High rebuild is estimated at $175 million. The total cost of the Toll Gate High rebuild is estimated at $174.5 million.  The initial estimates on the work were provided as part of the city’s RFP on the cost review, to which Ellana responded, resulting in the Council hiring the firm.

“We will hire a company to review those plans as they relate to today’s market conditions.  A number of factors have changed since November, such as higher interest rates, banking concerns and continued inflation.  I believe in the best interest of all Warwick taxpayers, we should have an updated review of the proposed plans with today’s economic conditions factored in,” Council President Steve McAllister noted in his Council Update in March.

“Once the city does its review of our review, if those numbers match, the next step would be we have to start designing,” School Committee Chairman Dave Testa said in April. “So the city would have to approve it, appropriate funding from the $350 million bond so we can start a design process, which takes 10 to 12 months.”