Five months after the unpleasant surprise that downtown Fayetteville’s new Crown Event Center would come in more than $13 million over budget, county commissioners learned Monday that construction costs are tracking slightly above initial estimates.
Commissioners Jimmy Keefe and Glenn Adams, members of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners’ Crown Event Center Committee, heard from Matt DeSilver of MBP Carolinas, the county’s project manager. Commissioner Jeannette Council, the third member of the committee, was not present Monday.
The committee received the full design for the center May 20. According to DeSilver’s presentation Monday, construction company T.A. Loving calculated construction costs for the full design would come in at $122,173,918. Commissioners approved in January a $144,455,422 million project budget that included a $117,864,211 construction cost estimate.
DeSilver said the $122 million figure came from cost estimates provided by the city of Fayetteville on ongoing projects. If necessary, the county could opt for a “value engineering” construction plan that would cut down on items like an operable partition in the center’s multipurpose room, interior window blinds and upper-level audience divider curtains, he noted. That would bring construction costs to $117,194,895, DeSilver’s presentation states.
Keefe questioned if the city of Fayetteville or PWC, which will relocate some underground utility boxes for the project, would be willing to offer discounted rates to the county. County Manager Clarence Grier said the county could discuss that with the city.
Adams said reduced rates from the city on certain fees — for example, related to permits and licenses — would only be fair, as the county had done so for city projects in the past.
DeSilver confirmed a groundbreaking for the project is still set for Sept. 13, with a tentative completion date of April 24, 2027.
“If we can move that to the left at all, we will look into it, but we’re not going to promise anything at this point in time before that,” he said about the possibility of the completion date being moved up.
Ryan Parker, a project executive with Metcon, told the committee the construction market has “leveled” some since January’s negative update. The price of copper has seen a slight uptick, but the outcome of the presidential election in November will be a particularly important factor in supply and construction costs for the project, he said.
“It’s a historic election, and I think the markets are going to react, one way or another,” Parker said.
The committee unanimously approved the new cost estimate, permitting project staff to begin the next step toward construction.
T.A. Loving will host an information session for interested potential subcontractors from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Fayetteville-Cumberland Regional Entrepreneur & Business HUB at 1073 Murchison Road, Adams said.
Reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at lsolomon@cityviewnc.com or 910-423-6500.
This story was made possible by contributions to CityView News Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to an informed democracy.
We just do not need this Crown downtown. It will create parking difficulties and just overcrowding and noise in general. Between the ball field and the advent of the crown, it’s almost impossible to enjoy downtown now. Sorry to see this. And I think we all know it will cost more than expected. Apparently there have been problems with one contractor concerning the parking. Downtown use to be quaint and fun. It is less now with paid parking and then no parking spaces for these events.
There have been numerous projects in Fayetteville and Cumberland county in the last 7 years that have been Overbudget or stop due to. improper vetting Of contractors. That is not a sign of an efficient city management.
The city celebrates mediocrity. Watch how city manager Hewett receives accolades for his management of the city.