EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
Demolition for Roberts Stadium is now expected to cost at least four-times more than the city originally said it would.
The bids are in, and they range from $900,000 to $2.7 million. The city originally estimated $200,000.
Originally, the plan was just to tear down the walls and clean up the debris. Now, the city has specifics on how clean-up should be done, and that's going to cost a lot more.
From $200,000, to a minimum of $958,000. More than a $700,000 increase, that is taking many off guard.
"You're supposed to be honest and open," noted resident Maureen Flowers.
"It really was just very shocking to me," explained City Council Member Missy Mosby.
The city only budgeted $200,000 for demolition. This was after a local company gave that estimate.
"This is a vastly different demolition project today," said Dave Rector with the Building Authority.
Rector says, in the original $200,000 estimate, the company was able to recycle and liquidate the building.
He says that was taken off the table when the city decided to hold a public auction, and the new demolition requirements require the building to be torn down in a way that makes it ready to become a park.
"We are doing much more than just knocking down a building and dumping in a hole," Rector said. "The specifics that we have today are engineering specifics on how the building gets demolished, what they have to do with the building, how to do recycling, how it will become the site for whenever the park comes in."
The Parks Board will have to ask for an additional appropriation from Evansville's City Council.
Rector says the public auction brought in $222,000 after a service fee, and there's $200,000 budgeted.
Now, City Council members will have decide whether to approve the more than $500,000 still needed.
"That's something I'm going to have to take into consideration, go out and talk with constituents and my neighborhood associations and see how they want this handled," Mosby told 14 News.
Rector says he was not surprised with the higher bids given the new specification they have in place.
City officials say they'd like demolition to start next month and for the project to be completed by May.
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Now, City Council members will have decide whether to approve the more than $500,000 still needed.
