Estimated cost of new West schools cut in half
WACO, Texas —
Rebuilding schools damaged by a deadly fertilizer plant explosion in West will cost about half of what officials expected immediately after the blast.
West Superintendent Marty Crawford told the Waco Tribune-Herald (http://bit.ly/1cyNaxH ) that the district's construction manager now estimates a rebuild cost of about $50 to $60 million. Officials first said they thought it would take as much as $117 million.
"The reason it was lower is because of the speed at which we had to put that first number together," Crawford told the newspaper. "We knew it would come down, but not as significantly as it did."
The April 17 blast at West Fertilizer sent debris flying for blocks and forced the demolition of dozens of buildings. It blew out the windows and ceilings in the intermediate school next door, and caved in part of the high school and middle school a short walk away.
More at http://www.statesman.com/news/ap/texas/estimated-cost-of-new-west-schools-cut-in-half/nbf6c/ .