Vendor quotations for equipment and processing piping come in high
The initial construction phase of the Babcock Hall/CDR project started in July 2018. In early 2019, quotations for the final element of the project, which includes equipment and process piping, were solicited from vendors.
Unfortunately, the vendor quotations came in more than $10M over the original estimate at the same time that the project needs at least an additional $1.4M in contingency funding. As a result, the current project funding shortfall is estimated at approximately $11.6M.
There are several reasons for this substantial shortfall, including incomplete and inadequate drawings and planning provided by the A&E firm and its subcontractors, along with increases in costs of materials over time. All of this has led to uncertainty, increasing the chance that costs will continue to escalate.
Chancellor Blank will be designating a point of contact from her leadership team to work with senior staff from campus and UW System as well as the state Division of Facilities Development and Management to review potential paths forward. No decision has been made about the future path for the project. Leaders will engage employees and stakeholders directly about possible options as soon as possible.
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