Florida A&M University trustees, bewildered by revised estimates for a new residence hall already under construction, voted Thursday to terminate their contract with a prominent Tallahassee-based company, Premier Construction and Development.
While approving a plan to solicit new bids for the project, the trustees also took the unusual step of requesting an audit of FAMU’s contracts with Premier.
Using a $42.8-million bond approved March 22 by the Board of Governors, FAMU has razed Polkinghorne Village on Gamble Street just west of the student services center and has been planning to have a new 800-bed residence hall ready for the 2013-14 school year.
But the university hit an impasse with Premier during recent weeks, when a $34.5-million construction estimate mushroomed to $48 million, which was then revised to $41.5 million.
“That’s more than $6 million we don’t have,” said SpurgeonMcWilliams, chair of the trustees’ facilities committee.
Steve Ghazvini, president of Premier Construction, said following Thursday’s FAMU board meeting that he had not decided if his company would rebid for the project. Premier has completed most of the foundation for the new dorm Read Full
