This letter is in response to the editorial that appeared in the Sun Journal Sept. 2. The editorial compared costs for Saint Joseph’s College’s new academic building to the new Auburn elementary school being proposed off Park Avenue.

As the president of the architecture and engineering firm responsible for designing Saint Joseph’s College’s new academic building, I would like to correct a few figures quoted in that article so that there is a fair comparison of the costs.

Saint Joseph’s was bid in 2002 at a cost of $8,252,000 for 50,000 square feet or $165 per square foot. Adding three years of inflation at a conservative 3 percent per year would result in a construction cost of $180 per square foot in 2005. The current estimated construction cost for the Auburn elementary school is $174 per square foot. Another factor that needs to be considered is that Auburn has extensive site costs because of its urban setting that exceed that of Saint Joseph’s and other typical school projects.

In terms of the total project cost, Saint Joseph’s in 2002 dollars was $200 per square foot and the Auburn elementary school in 2005 dollars is $234 per square foot. The major difference is that public school projects require more soft costs because of state requirements.

The bottom line is that if the correct numbers are analyzed, the new Auburn elementary school is not out of line with today’s market and would be a good value for the citizens of the city of Auburn.

Edward Cormier, president,

Harriman Associates Architects/Engineers, Auburn

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