THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 24, 1996 TAG: 9607240363
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 55 lines
Because the city's consultant forgot to include nearly a third of the proposed new court building in plans and cost estimates, the City Council had to add $5.4 million to the already approved capital budget Tuesday night.
Thomas H. Westbrook, assistant director of public works, told the council at a work session that the project's consultant, Hayes Seay Mattern & Mattern of Virginia Beach, left out holding cells and underground parking for judges and decided not to include a separate jury-assembly area in the original estimates used to determine the capital budget.
Other additional expenses included expanding the seating in traffic court from 125 to 200 seats, Westbrook said.
The forgotten areas total almost one-third of the planned 172,000-square-foot building.
``The consultant made a mistake,'' said Westbrook, ``and we didn't catch it.''
The additional work is estimated at $5,362,100. Construction is due to begin in the spring of 1997. The project is now estimated at $27 million.
In comparison, Chesapeake City Hall, the six-floor centerpiece of the municipal complex on Cedar Road, cost $16.5 million to build.
Council members were concerned about the increased cost for the court building but unanimously approved the budget change without discussion at the regular council meeting.
``In these very very trying times . . . it is certainly disturbing and somewhat vexing to approve additional funds,'' said Councilman John M. de Triquet.
Replied Westbrook: ``I don't like having to come back to you, either.''
The city is facing a financial crunch in the next several years as a number of expensive school and city capital projects begin to be funded and built. The city's finance director and others have recently emphasized that the City Council is going to have to be extremely conservative about how it spends taxpayers' money.
``We're already in a situation where we don't have enough revenues to go around,'' said finance director Claude Wright. ``This will make it somewhat worse, no doubt about it.''
Wright added that, because the project has yet to go to bid, the cost could be less.
The new courts building is badly needed in Chesapeake, officials said.
Space is tight in both the Circuit and District courts, two buildings that have been in use since before Chesapeake was founded in 1963.
The proposed courthouse will be built at the intersection of Albemarle and Holt drives across from the new city jail, which is under construction.
Escalators, such as those used in the Virginia Beach Courthouse, will shuttle the public from floor to floor. It is planned to complement the architecture of City Hall, with a pre-cast, off-white exterior and blue glass.
The existing court buildings are to be razed to make room for a grassy plaza. by CNB