Another hurdle for Hanover Park police station

Hanover Park's new police station, more than a decade in the making, faces another obstacle now that Hanover Park trustees rejected a contract with the architectural firm tapped to design it.

The board on Thursday directed staff to renegotiate rates with Chicago-based PSA-Dewberry Inc., and if a lower price can't be reached, they're to move on to a more economical designer.

"There are a lot of hungry architectural firms right now," Trustee Bill Cannon said.

The board's decision is a risk because any potential savings could be wiped out if construction hasn't progressed enough by next winter. PSA-Dewberry representative Larry Hlavacek said heating a shell of a facility could add between $150,000 and $500,000 to the overall project.

PSA-Dewberry originally proposed charging the village 8 percent of the estimated $15 million construction cost, or about $1.2 million. The firm has since come down to 7.75 percent, but some trustees want it to budge even further. Trustee Toni Carter said she'd be comfortable at 5.5 to 6 percent.

Cannon said he doesn't want a cheapskate of a firm, but feels more homework needs to be done to see if quality companies can offer a better price.

Trustee Lori Kaiser said she was OK with the proposed contract because the chosen firm has built more than 75 police stations and has a reputation for delivering projects on-time and on-budget.

Public Works Director Howard Killian cautioned the board, saying both interest and construction rates could rise by the time the village works out a new contract. Village Manager Ron Moser added he demanded the best possible rate from PSA-Dewberry and feels he got it. Both hoped to have a new contract proposed by the next board meeting.

Hlavacek said he'd work with his firm, but also warned that a lower price doesn't guarantee the same quality.

"You'll get a person who will low ball (the project) and you will pay more in the end because they don't put forward the quality staff and time," he said to the board. "Our expertise does allow us to get you more building at a cheaper price."