Historic find raises cost of NYC City Hall Rehab; PV panel plan scrapped

The discoveries of a colonial-era structure onsite and more serious structural deterioration than expected have led to a projected 12% increase in the renovation of New York’s City Hall. The structure located behind City Hall yielded artifacts, including a bayonet that may have belonged to a British soldier during the Revolutionary War, and British farthings minted between 1746-54. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/big_overrun_on_city_over_hall_Ox0AUnWZ2KiLsbdC9oZ7AI The archeological find meant that workers had to dig by hand around the site to carefully uncover artifacts, which boosted labor costs. This discovery, along with the need for an additional tunnel to bring new power lines into the building for new mechanical equipment, have helped to boost the project’s cost to an estimated $119 million. The cost overruns have prompted officials to scrap plans for the installation of rooftop solar panels.

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