City council gets design plans, costs for recreation projects today

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The moment of truth on the referendum construction projects is at hand for the New Ulm City Council.

The council will meet with its architects at 4 p.m. today in the library conference room to be briefed on Rozeboom Miller Architects' schematic design phase for the Fairgrounds Community Center, Senior Citizens Center and the Family Recreation Center construction projects and the total design development cost estimates.

The council will be asked tonight to approve the design development cost estimates and authorize the architectural firm to proceed immediately into the construction documents phase.

Construction cost estimates for all three projects were prepared by Kraus-Anderson Construction Company, a Twin Cities firm serving as an independent estimating agency, and Heymann Construction of New Ulm.

Because both estimates came in at over the $11,731,000 budgeted for the project, Rozeboom Miller is proposing cuts and alternates that would reduce both estimates by $1.1 million, bringing the Heymann estimate down to $11,411,000 -- $300,000 below budget.

Each of the building committees that worked with the architects in making recommendations "was charged with reconciling their respective project budgets and cost estimates by making cost reduction and bid alternate recommendations," the council will be told.

The council, at its regular meeting, also will receive the 2001-2002 budget for the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau. It also will consider a resolution establishing a leased parking area abutting North German Street from the Cinema 3 Theater to the curb-cut between 1st and 2nd North streets.

On Tuesday, Sept. 4, the council has informational meetings scheduled in the library meeting room with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Office of Freight, Railroads and Waterways at 5 p.m. and with Dr. Laurel Gamm on the Putting Green project at 6 p.m. Its regular meeting will follow at 7:30 p.m.