North Carolina Elevator Project Approved Over Budget

When bids came in for the New Bern, North Carolina, City Hall elevator project, the lowest one came in at more than US$1 million over budget, the Sun Journal reports. In March, the New Bern Board of Aldermen approved a US$3.9-million contract, which was the lowest, from Daniels and Daniels, based in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The board also approved a motion to rename the project from the City Hall Elevator Annex to the City Hall Elevator Project. It will still include an annex, but it will be in a separate building with restrooms at every level, which will help the building be more compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, board officials said. The board originally approved a US$2.1-million budget in 2020, but inflation and the cost of building materials contributed to the lowest bid coming in well over budget. In 2020, the county’s inflation rate was listed at 1.7%, according to the consumer price index. In March, inflation had risen to 7.9% and currently sits at 8.5%. In April, the board voted in favor of financing the project with the total payment over 15 years — at a 2.86% interest rate — being US$4.79 million. Construction is expected to take a year to complete once it begins.