The committee leading the project to convert the former Academy School building into a community center concluded that keeping the project as it was originally envisioned would require at least $8 million more than the original budget. First selectwoman Peggy Lyons told the audience last week that the bids received in December were between $5.2 million and $7.6 million over the original budget. Given the escalating costs of the project, blamed on inflation and certain technical contingencies such as the need to replace the septic system, the selectmen expressed their intention to call for a new referendum on May 6 to increase the budget and maintain the project as it was originally proposed to the community. Lyons proposed that at the next board of selectmen’s meeting, a vote be taken to set the date of the new referendum for May 6. She clarified that they would have until April 9 to determine the final amount the town would request for the community center.
New Estimates Push Madison Community Center Cost $8 Million Over Budget