'Procedural Downfall' Blamed For Elmhurst D-205 Overrun

ELMHURST, IL — Bids for an Elmhurst school project last week came in 22 percent higher than the original estimate. That was blamed, in part, on a "procedural downfall" between the architect and construction manager.

According to documents, a new media center and building improvements for Jackson Elementary School had been estimated at $6.9 million. But with last week's bids, the Jackson project is now set to cost $8.4 million.

Part of that increase was blamed on the increase in prices for materials. But that did not explain the entire hike. The school district is building a new Field Elementary School, with bids last week showing cost overruns amounting to 5 percent.

At a finance committee meeting Tuesday, board member Karen Stuefen asked why Jackson saw a much larger increase percentage-wise than Field.

Answering the question was Marc Poskin, a vice president with Elmhurst-based International Contractors Inc., the school district's construction manager. In his response, he mentioned Chicago-based Wight & Co., the architect for the projects.

Poskin cited "undocumented scope growth" between September and when the district went out to bid in November.

"We found scope growth on the drawings. We just didn't get a chance to document it and price it," Poskin said. "It's unfortunate. It's a procedural downfall between Wight and us that we're working on. That's not going to happen again."

He also said the increase in costs were the result of escalating prices for lumber, metal studs, steel and drywall. But he said the higher bids bothered his company. So he said his firm compiled a variance report, which he offered to send to school board members.

He called the Jackson project a "complex, smaller, messy renovation."

"It's a more difficult project logistically than Field," he said. "That showed up in the bids as well."

The board is set to decide whether to accept the bids at its meeting next Tuesday. In 2018, voters authorized the school district to go $168 million in debt to pay for projects such as Jackson's.