Unexpected structural deterioration and ongoing material delays have added roughly $30,000 in unbudgeted costs to the town of Carmel’s renovation of the RFG Recreation Center at Sycamore Park, according to town officials.
During the Town Board’s May 20 work session, Recreation and Parks Director Nina Kallmeyer and Building and Grounds Maintenance Supervisor Joe Cotone updated board members on the progress of the project, which is being funded primarily through federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money.
Kallmeyer said the additional costs were driven by problems uncovered after construction began, including rotted sheathing behind walls, deteriorated window framing, additional masonry repairs and complications involving the building’s basement access system.
“We are going to have to find the funding for this,” Kallmeyer told the board, noting the added expenses were not included in the town’s 2026 budget or covered by the original ARPA allocation.
The renovation contract, known as C305, was originally awarded for $103,398. The revised scope of work now brings the total project cost to approximately $133,893.
Town officials said many of the added expenses stemmed from hidden conditions discovered only after portions of the building were opened during construction.
Among the additional work is the replacement of rotted plywood sheathing, installation of new siding and flashing, repairs to damaged window framing, expanded masonry work and modifications to the building’s basement access area.
The basement entrance became one of the more complicated aspects of the project after officials determined the original Bilco door configuration would not properly fit the site conditions.
Cotone said contractors now plan to trench the area further, build up the existing foundation walls and install a shorter basement door to improve drainage and prevent water infiltration.
“We’re going to bring the foundation up, get it above grade so water doesn’t get down into that room,” Cotone explained, adding that town crews will later install new steps in the area.
Kallmeyer said Recreation officials, along with Councilman Rob Kearns, recently met on site with representatives from Tundra Contracting Group and engineering consultant Weston & Sampson to review the project in detail and push construction forward.
The town has also faced frustration with material lead times and contractor delays, particularly involving windows and doors.
“The windows were the first thing that was taken out in February, and for some reason it’s the last thing that’s going in,” Kallmeyer said.
Officials said the contractor only recently ordered the replacement windows, while the revised basement door system could take another four to five weeks to arrive once approved.
Because Sycamore Park hosts the town’s summer camp programs, some remaining work may need to wait until after the camp season concludes.
Despite the setbacks, officials said the project has made substantial progress in recent weeks.
Exterior painting is largely complete; replacement doors are being installed, and town crews have begun constructing a new deck at the facility. Cotone said town employees recently purchased lumber materials and started building the deck themselves.
Kallmeyer said several components of the added costs may ultimately come in below estimates because some quantities in the revised pricing were calculated at maximum projected amounts.
“A lot of the extended prices are worst-case scenario,” she said, noting that some repair areas likely will not require the full amount of material initially estimated.
Town officials also noted that prevailing wage increases since the project was bid in 2024 contributed to some of the higher construction costs.
In addition to structural repairs, the project included several design and code-related adjustments. Bathroom doors, for example, were redesigned to swing outward to comply with emergency egress requirements after contractors initially proposed inward-swinging doors.
While no completion date was formally announced, officials said they are hopeful that most of the remaining work can be wrapped up by late summer.
“It looks really good,” Kallmeyer told the board. “We’re almost done.”
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