RTM Approves Extra Funds For New Civic Center, CMS Repairs

GREENWICH, CT — Earlier this week, the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting overwhelmingly voted to approve extra funding for a new Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, and funding for repairs at Central Middle School.

The RTM approved $4.04 million for the EGCC, and $1.611 million for CMS, which included $150,000 for education specifications.

The new EGCC, which will be built on the same footprint as the current building, was originally projected to cost around $21.5 million. The RTM approved $18.6 million for the project in fiscal year 2022, and additional appropriations are slated over the next three years.

The facility will be named the Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, after Steve and Alexandra Cohen, who donated $5 million last year as part of a naming rights deal. Steve Cohen is a Greenwich resident and owner of the New York Mets. He's the founder of Point72 asset management, a hedge fund company headquartered in Stamford.

"We were told that there was significant interest with 12 bidders submitting bids between approximately $20 million and $24 million, and that the money that is being requested is to gap what was previously budgeted," said Katherine LoBalbo, RTM member and chair of the Parks and Rec. Committee, in her committee report to the legislative body.

"Most of the increase, we were told, was due to the cost of steel, which has been problematic for a number of months and years. We all are familiar with supply chain issues," LoBalbo added, noting exterior stone, soil and landscaping work costs. "Generally, there's just been an increase since the time the project was originally funded through the time the project was bid."

Lucia Jansen, chair of the RTM's Budget Overview Committee, said the unexpected higher costs are a result of surging inflation and supply chain and labor cost issues. She said the Greenwich Emergency Medical Services building project also required additional funding.

Jansen said this "could be a sign of a new normal in all project costs, particularly with the new Russian/Ukrainian war crisis." Jansen said it was "concerning" that many fiscal year 2023 proposed capital projects were valued with pre-COVID-19 prices and do not reflect current economic conditions.

"However, the BOC remained very supportive of this project," Jansen said.

The RTM voted to approve the funds, along with bonding, 200 in favor, with six opposed and six abstentions. Construction is expected to begin this year.

There was no discussion on the money for repairs for CMS. The item, along with others on the consent calendar, was approved 209 in favor with one opposed and two abstentions.

The repairs are slated to take place over a six-week period during the summer break. CMS was closed for about two weeks in February after inspectors voiced concerns over the structural safety of the building, notably with the walls.

The building was fortified with scaffolding and netting, and students returned on Feb. 22.

The construction is part of a five-year repair plan, and a new school could be online by 2026. A building committee is expected to be formed in the near future.

The funding includes $150,000 for education specifications and an environmental analysis to confirm that a potential site for a new school can accommodate the weight of a building, along with soil testing.

During the current budget process, the Board of Education is requesting $2.5 million in the 2022-2023 budget for architecture and engineering work on a new school.