CAPE CHARLES, Va. — Cape Charles Town Council has approved a $92,856.50 contract amendment with architectural firm HBA to update construction plans for the town’s new Municipal Building, officials said.
The amendment was approved during the Town Council’s July 17 Regular Meeting.
The town originally contracted with HBA in September 2021 to assess alternatives for future office space, including condition evaluations of the existing Municipal Building, Civic Center and Library Building. After reviewing those findings, Council moved forward with designs for a new Municipal Building on Cassatt Parkway, selective renovations to the Library Building, and the addition of a Visitors Center and public restrooms south of Mason Avenue.
While construction plans for all three facilities have been completed, cost overruns and high bids on separate projects have prompted changes. The Library’s planned HVAC replacement was cut back after bids came in significantly over budget, and the work has since been incorporated into the Library Redevelopment project by a private developer. Efforts to move forward with the Visitors Center stalled after the only bid received was deemed “extraordinarily high,” leading staff to explore a lease opportunity at 11 Peach Street instead.
Given those experiences and continued market pressures, the Municipal Building has not yet been put out for bid. Council recently voted to relocate the project from its original site on Cassatt Parkway to seven Town-owned parcels at the northeast corner of Fig Street and Randolph Avenue, a change that now requires the construction plans to be updated.
Most of the amendment cost will cover the development of a new site plan by HBA’s civil engineering subconsultant. The FY 2026 capital budget includes $3.25 million for the Municipal Building project.
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Bad idea.