Difference between revisions of "Local Politics:Issues:Construction Costs"
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| 2013 | | 2013 | ||
| $43.35M | | $43.35M | ||
| 91,840 | | 91,840 <ref>[[Media:FinalCapacityrpr20Nov14.pdf|Final Phase 1 Capacity Report]] (Nov 19, 2014), p. 18</ref> | ||
| $472 | | $472 | ||
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Revision as of 23:12, 8 March 2015
The question we are posing here is why government building construction costs, at the town and state level (for schools, police and fire stations, community centers, city halls, state college buildings etc), are much higher than those incurred by private real estate developers (for office buildings, manufacturing facilities, shopping malls, private schools, private college buildings etc).
Government Building Construction
Vynebrooke Village Renovations
In 2014, Annual Town Meeting approved in its Article 8 (g) renovations at Vynebrooke Village, at the cost of $300k to Lexington and $600k to the Dept of Housing and Community Development. Work scope: replacing 27,000 sq ft of siding, 17,000 sq ft shingle roof, and 24 doors[1][2].
Estabrook Construction
The Estabrook school construction has a 82,080 sq ft gross floor area[3], and the construction cost was $43.35M[4]. This comes comes to $528 per sq ft. The construction was completed in 2013.
Lexington High School Modulars
The High School Modulars are 24,525 sq ft gross floor area[5] at an estimated construction cost of $6.7M-$7.7M[5], including an unspecified amount of technology equipment. This comes to $273-$313 per sq ft.
Summary of Brick & Mortar School Construction in Lexington
| School Name | Completion Year | Cost | Sq Ft (Gross) | Cost per Gross Sq Ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estabrook | 2013 | $43.35M | 91,840 [6] | $472 |
| Fiske | 2007 | $18M | 75,840 | |
| Harrington | 2005 | $13M | 79,470 |
This table was last updated in March 2015.
Private Real Estate Developers Construction
Hobbs Brook Construction in Waltham
Hobbs Brook announced in the fall of 2013 that it is planning to construct an office space building in Waltham, at 275 Wyman St, for 315,000 sq ft at $100M construction costs[7]. This comes to $317 per sq ft. Vistaprint will move its headquarters from Lexington into the new building once it is completed.
Lexington Documents and Data
Estabrook
- Estabrook Educational Program
- Estabrook Project Meetings
- Estabrook Space Summary 11-10-19
- Estabrook Work Plan Schedule 11-09-16
- 11-10-13 SPL-Option 1 - 3 Story School
- 11-10-13 SPL-Option 2 - 3 Story School
- 11-10-13 SPL-Option 3 - 2 Story School
- 11-10-13 SPL-Phased Construction
LHS Modulars
- Lexington Minuteman: Town Meeting approves Lexington High School modular classrooms, by Marc Filippino (Nov 7, 2013)
- LHS Overcrowding, School Committee update, (Sept 10, 2013)
Massachusetts Documents and Data
- Project Labor Agreements and Financing Public School Construction in Massachusetts, by David G. Tuerck and Paul Bachman. Beacon Hill Institute, Dec 2006.
- Project Labor Agreements’ Effect on School Construction Costs in Massachusetts, by Dale Belman, Russell Ormiston, Richard Kelso, William Schriver and Kenneth A. Frank
- Wikipidia's Project Labor Agreement page.
News & OpEds
- Boston Globe: State rethinking model school designs, by Johanna Seltz (Sept 13, 2014)
- Metro West Daily News: Prevailing wage law frustrates MetroWest officials, by Brad Petrishen (May 28, 2012)
- Boston Globe: Town seeks wage-law exemption, by Brad Kane (Mar 12, 2009)
- Boston Globe: Next target: the prevailing wage law, by David G.Tuerck (Aug 20, 2008)
- Boston Globe: The high cost of affordable housing, by David Luberoff (May 7, 2008)
- Boston Globe: The unfair price of union labor, by Scot Lehigh (May 20, 2005)
- Boston Globe: 23 charged for sub-par Big Dig pay Truckers say they didn't receive prevailing wage required by law, by Thomas C Palmer, Jr (May 8, 1998)
- Boston Globe: Big Dig truck subcontractors referred to AG Prevailing wage violations cited, by Thomas C. Palmer (Apr 19, 1997)
- Boston Globe: Prevailing wage law idling, by Diane E. Lewis (Oct 25, 1992)
- Boston Globe: Unions beat Question 2, preserve wage law, by Bruce Butterfield (Nov 9, 1988)
- Boston Globe: 'Prevailing wage' costs city millions, foe says, by Steve Marantz (Nov 4, 1988)
- Boston Globe: No on Question 2, by the Editorial Board (Oct 18, 1988)
- Boston Globe: Labor leaders pledge campaign to preserve prevailing wage law, by Jonathan Kaufman (Sep 6, 1988)
- Boston Globe: Report released on prevailing wage, by Bruce Butterfield (Aug 26, 1988)
- Boston Globe: Prevailing wage faces tough test, by Bruce Butterfield (Jun 12, 1988)
- Boston Globe: Fair wage group files suit, claims construction unions interfering with petition drive, by Bruce Mohl (Oct 14, 1987)
- Boston Globe: 'Prevailing wage' masquarade, by the Editorial Board (Dec 24, 1986)
- Boston Globe: Coalition starts referendum move on state wage law, by the Globe State House Bureau (Sept 25, 1985)
- Boston Globe: Should 'prevailing wage' prevail?, by the Editorial Board (Apr 18, 1984)
- Boston Globe: 'Prevailing wage' hurts, by Kirk Scharfenberg (Feb 19, 1983)
Notes
- ↑ Apr 7, 2014 Town Meeting session, min. 70.
- ↑ lex-tmma thread: Financial impact of reconsideration of article 10L (Apr 2014)
- ↑ See Estabrook Space Summary 11-10-19 for Estabrook floor area data
- ↑ $1,05M for FY12 feasibility, $39.7M for FY13 design and construction, $2.6M for FY12 to accommodate increase in estimated construction costs. Also see Lexington Minuteman: Costs rise for Estabrook School building project, by Ben Aaronson (Oct 16, 2012) The MSBA refunded $12.25M of the construction costs.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 LHS Overcrowding, School Committee update, (Sept 10, 2013)
- ↑ Final Phase 1 Capacity Report (Nov 19, 2014), p. 18
- ↑ Boston.com: Developers propose $100m, 315,000 square foot Vistaprint building in Waltham, by Jaclyn Reiss (Nov 5, 2013)