An additional $2 million is to be allocated to the Wright State University Raider Row project.
Associate Vice President of Operations Javan Conley spoke to the Board of Trustees on June 26, requesting an additional $2 million to complete the project. This brings the total cost of the project to $4.5 million.
The Raider Row project is currently set to include a Chick-fil-A and a roundabout.
"Raider Row is a broader initiative designed to transform undeveloped land and overflow parking into nearly 20,000 square feet of retail, dining, and community space," WSU Communications said prior to the beginning of the construction.
The original budget for the roundabout aspect was proposed based on the idea that the project was going to be a simple roadway replacement, so further environmental tests were not deemed as needed. However the crew discovered issues with the soil underneath the original asphalt, which caused delays and a budget increase.
“The discovery of unforeseen conditions that could have not been reasonably identified during the initial planning and estimating phase, most notably the soil,” Conley said. “Bad soil conditions to the tune of $360,000."
Beyond soil conditions, electrical infrastructure needed in regard to the project itself had not been accounted for in the initial evaluation, costing an additional $461,000. Conley also cited global cost as a factor in the need for extra money.
“The national construction market has experienced measurable cost escalation. Increase fuel prices, transportation cost, material pricing and contractor operating expenses as a result of internal international turbulence have contributed to higher construction costs across the country.,” Conley said.
Conley acknowledged the mistakes made by his team involved with the project, and that he does not want to repeat mistakes that put WSU in financial trouble in the past.
Trustee Andrew Platt pointed out that there are strict standards when it comes to the board, but acknowledged Conley’s track record and thanked him for the honesty.
“I know the board has been clear on what is not acceptable, right? But to Javan’s point, you guys have a solid track record, and I think the most important thing is mistakes are going to happen, but when they happen, we need to be transparent about it to everybody like we did today. So I appreciate the transparency,” Platt said.
Trustee Chairman John Thompson agreed with Trustee Platt about the transparency, highlighting the honest nature of Conley’s presentation.
“I appreciate the balanced nature of your remarks, and the fact that so many of our projects are completed on cost and on time. It gives you a lot of credibility sitting here,” Thompson said. “But clearly lessons learned here, right?"
The roundabout project is slated to still be finished come Aug. 8th, just in time for the fall semester to start.
