Cost of new emergency services center soars

Price of technology infrastructure, furnishings wasn’t in original estimate

KINGSTON, N.Y. >> The cost of Ulster County’s proposed new government operations center has jumped by nearly $10 million, and the design of the project is only 30% complete, county lawmakers were told Wednesday, March 15.

Construction of the center, which will be the county’s first major new construction project since the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center was completed in 2009, is now estimated to cost $34,583,746. That’s up from the original cost estimate of $24,912,210.

The new government operations center is proposed to be located on Paradies Lane in New Paltz, near exit 18 of the state Thruway. It will house the county’s 911 dispatch center and emergency management offices as well as other related office space. It will replace the current 911 facility located in a house on Golden Hill and the county emergency operations center, located in a room at the Law Enforcement Center.

Christopher Young, an architect with Urbahan Architects, told county legislators during a special meeting of Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday that the additional cost stems from the inclusion of the technology infrastructure and furnishings that weren’t included in the original estimate.

“The difference really from (the original estimate) is all that goes in for equipment,” Young said.

Still, the revelation was cause for concern for some legislators who for more than two hours peppered consultants with questions about the project. The questions included what will be done with contaminated soils removed from the site and where water for the facility will come from, to how long the emergency generator will be able to run, how the furnishings will be chosen, how the site was chosen as the location for the center and why the construc

tion estimate doesn’t include a contingency to buffer against cost overruns.

At one point, Minority Leader Ken Ronk criticized fellow legislators for the detailed questions, saying lawmakers were “micromanaging” the project.

“I’m listening to the questions, listening to the answers and wondering why we’re here,” said Ronk, RWallkill.

Legislator Brian Cahill, D-town of Ulster, said, “Some of us were around at the end of the jail (project).” He added that the project’s increased costs when the design is only 30% complete “gives me pause.”

“We have precedent for us to go back and make sure we are doing our job and that’s what this is all about,” Cahill said, “making sure that we are doing our due diligence and that we’re protecting the taxpayers and not dragging

them into another boondoggle.”

The construction of the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center was originally estimated to cost $53 million. The price rose to roughly $95 million, however, and the center was completed three years behind schedule.

Committee Chairman John Gavaris said he “can’t recall one project that the executive has not come back with more costs.

“Every time we’ve been given an estimate it’s not

rung true,” Gavaris, D-Ellenville, said. “I take pause with that, especially in a project of this size.”

Young said that although the project design is only about 30% complete, he’s “not expecting anything to radically change.” He said lawmakers will be given updates when the project design is 60% complete and again when it is 90% complete.

Construction of the project is expected to be complete in late 2025 or early 2026.