BROCKTON — A grudging city council committee agreed in principle to borrow up to $48 million more to finish the public safety building. The new downtown home for Brockton police and fire was originally supposed to cost $98M.
That means the total cost, including needed road reconfiguration, could hit $146M.
“For me this is a 50 percent cost overrun,” a visibly upset City Councilor Tom Minichiello said. “There are reasonable escalation costs and there are unreasonable escalation costs.”
Project executives blamed undocumented bedrock and contamination at the site plus an inflation-driven spike in construction costs.
It was no secret that the sprawling site, once home to Brockton High and other schools, contained asbestos and other contaminants. But they say the extent of the problem wasn’t clear from test pits and soil borings. In February, project leaders warned there would be significant additional costs.
Why did site preparation cost so much?
Adding tremendously to the cost was that much of the soil had to be trucked to specialized disposal sites. Project managers had hoped to send the soil to facilities in New Hampshire or New York, but those were at capacity. Instead, workers had to truck hundreds of loads 657-mile, 11-hour drive for disposal in Minerva, Ohio. Kevin Sullivan of CHA Consulting said it took 10-20 trucks a day for several months.
Kevin Sullivan and his CHA Consulting counterpart Joe Sullivan (no relation to each other or Brockton Mayor Robert F. Sullivan) pledged they won’t ask for more money. “I feel very confident saying on the record that we will not be coming back to you,” Kevin Sullivan said.
The city won’t be able to get the sweet 2.5% interest rate it locked in on the project’s first $98M. Chief Financial Officer Troy Clarkson said the city could borrow up to $48 million by using temporary borrowing for three years. By the time the permanent debt starts coming due, Clarkson said taxes from new commercial development would be needed to make the math work.
CFO: Voters would have to approve high school spending
The unexpected borrowing beyond $98M also impacts another marquee project: a $1 billion renovation of Brockton High School. A competitive state grant program may pay up to 80%. That leaves Brockton on the hook for the other 20%, which could be $200 million. Clarkson said he now expects that in two years, the city will have to convince voters it’s worth it to borrow beyond the usual limits. “It will need to be a debt-exclusion vote,” he said. Historically, Brockton voters have not been eager to approve such borrowing.
“The only way out of this is to aggressively increase our commercial tax base,” said Ward 3 City Councilor Phil Griffin, the former chairman of the Brockton Redevelopment Authority. “We have to set the table that Brockton is business-friendly. Our future, as far of these buildings go, is tied to how well we do with commercial development.”
The city council’s finance committee on Monday recommended writing the check, but the final vote will come at an upcoming meeting of the full council. It is expected to pass.
Wondering about a vacant building, construction site or other sign of change in or near Brockton? I’m veteran local reporter Chris Helms and I’ll help you find out. Email your questions and tips to CHelms@enterprisenews.com or connect on X at @HelmsNews.
