An independent cost review of Key Biscayne’s first bite of its massive infrastructure rehaul has found an engineering’s firm estimates were more or less correct.
AECOM has said replacing stormwater pipes in the oft-flooded neighborhood around the elementary school would cost $75 million. However, that was significantly more than the $35 million it said it would cost six months ago.
As a result, critics of the Council wanted an independent review. CES Consulting came back with a $80.1 million estimate.
The Council by a 5-2 in October approved a key $897,000 contract to allow for the preparation of contract designs, bid documents, and the like with an eye towards shovels in the ground in 2025.
CES Consultants looked to determine “the cohesiveness between the plans and the cost estimate” developed by the engineering firm AECOM.
It landed at an estimated total construction cost of $80.1 million. CES noted that with such a project there are cost differences between -5% and +10%, giving a range of $76 million to $88 million.
Replacing the storm pipes in Zone 1 is just one slice of a $310 million infrastructure overhaul planned for Key Biscayne to combat sea-level rise and climate change. Besides the stormwater, it would bury utility lines, repitch roads, and fortify the coastline. But critics worry the total Village-wide amount will be much more.
A new Council will meet for the first time on Dec. 17. Michael Bracken, just elected, has said he wants to prioritize undergrounding.
READ MORE: Key Biscayne approves $897K contract to move Big Dig sea level rise project forward
CES found in its review that AECOM’s unit pricing was accurate but that there were gaps that resulted in the decision to substitute large-diameter concrete pipes with plastic or Hobas – reinforced glass fiber. “Overall, the approach offers a more feasible and cost-effective solution for the project,” according to the report.
Village Manager Steve Williamson, responding to an email, said, “The important thing to know about the independent cost review is that it is just one of many steps” to get to a 60% design of Zone 1.
The 60% design by engineers is due this month which takes into account Council decisions on the level of service, acquisition outfalls, and coordination with utility companies while following new Miami-Dade and state regulations.
Williamson said the independent cost review was a small part of a complex process.
“It gave us a third-party look at some of our assumptions, costing methods, unit costs, and material selections,” he said. “It was a worthy endeavor.”
Council Member Ed London has said that the K-8 plan is vastly overdesigned and expects a cost of more than $100 million.
He said CES never did a design review, just a cost analysis. The estimate also is just construction costs – other costs such as the actual engineering and the land acquisition for outfalls are not included, London added.
Another wild card is President-elect Donald Trump and whether he fulfills his promise to deport undocumented workers. “There will be a labor shortage and prices will skyrocket,” he said.
“The way we are doing it we will never know what it is going to cost,” London said.
This story was originally published in the Key Biscayne Independent, a WLRN News partner.
