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New courthouse plan stalls See also The long and winding road to Putnam's courthouse (The Journal News, Original publication: May 25, 2001) Courthouse project delayed - CARMEL — Putnam County Executive Robert Bondi surprised county legislators this week by announcing that a planned spring groundbreaking on a much-delayed courthouse will not occur this year, and the $15 million estimate to build it is now closer to $18 million. In a May 22 letter to Legislator Tony Hay, R-Southeast, Bondi wrote that the estimate given to the county in November was $20 million to build the four-story, 61,000-square-foot structure. After several meetings since last month, the estimate was reduced to $18 million, he wrote. Bondi did not share the $20 million figure with the Legislature until this week, said Hay, chairman of the Physical Services Committee. Legislators believed estimates were still $15 million and construction would start this spring, he said. Harold Gary, county commissioner of highways and facilities, informed the committee about the spring start date as recently as last month. "All of a sudden, they hit us over the head with this," Hay said, adding that he became "furious" when he received the information. "When he (Bondi) learned of this last year, why didn't he tell us?" Bondi said he knew there were problems with the construction management company, O'Brien Krietzberg, which has since been let go, and his office kept legislators informed. Bondi said he knew construction prices were escalating, but did not know about the $20 million figure until this week. It was communicated to staff members at the Department of Highways and Facilities, who then pushed to hire another construction company, he said. Bondi, who has been county executive since 1991, said he was "shocked to hear that we're not going to break ground this spring. I thought we were very close." The county won't know the real price of the courthouse until companies bid on the project, Bondi said. Putnam hired AMEC Construction Management of New York City last night. The county has been under state order to build a courthouse since 1989. Instead of a spring groundbreaking, the plans are now to call for bids in November and complete construction by spring 2003, rather than the last quarter of 2002, Bondi wrote in the letter. Site preparation will begin this year, he wrote. "This matter has been pending for some time. There's a strong need for appropriate facilities in Putnam," said Francis Nicolai, administrative judge for the 9th Judicial District. "I'm disappointed in the delay, but I'm optimistic that, even though the bids are late, the project can be completed on time,'' added Nicolai. Bondi wrote in the May 22 letter that the county has been trying to ratchet down the price since November. The construction team is trying to reduce the cost further, and the county did not want to begin final construction documents until everything was settled, he wrote. Smith said the biggest concern was a "disconnect in the price between the architect and the (former) construction managers." The architect is Preiss Breismeister of Stamford, Conn. Legislator Sam Oliverio, D-Putnam Valley, said the courthouse project has become a "Frankenstein monster." "We're all fed up with it, and it has to move forward," he said. "Where is the management oversight on this?" The nonprofit watchdog group, called Fund for Modern Courts, has released several reports critical of Putnam County's court facilities, the most recent of which in 1998. The group's monitors described physical conditions as "deplorable" and crowded, particularly Family Court, where the only waiting area for warring spouses is a narrow hallway. |
