Vail to receive update on Dobson Ice Arena remodel as price tag increases
Initial general contractor costs came in $20 million or more over town鈥檚 $55.4 million budget for the remodel
Town of Vail, Populous/Courtesy Photo
The Vail Town Council may face some tough decisions when it comes to the remodel of Dobson Ice Arena as initial general contractor estimates came in $20 million (or more) over budget.
The Town Council will receive a presentation on the latest with the project design and planning at its Tuesday, March 5 meeting.
Dobson Ice Arena was built in 1979 and 鈥� outside of a few minor remodels over the years 鈥� has remained largely unchanged. However, as the facility’s systems reach the end of their life and community needs evolve, the town brought in a design firm and owner’s representative to begin planning the building’s next life.
The Town Council previously agreed on a $55 million budget that it hoped would allow it to make many changes and upgrades. The schematic design contemplated replacing the arena’s roof and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, while also adding new restrooms, locker rooms, entrances, flex-use spaces, seating opportunities (including a mezzanine deck) and more.
At the end of 2023, after finalizing a schematic design, the town put out a request for proposals to find a general contractor for the remodel. The goal of bringing on a general contractor was to determine if the schematic was constructible and to get more accurate cost estimates for the full program.
Support Local Journalism
According to a for the Town Council’s March 5 meeting, after narrowing the proposals received down to three contractors 鈥� the cost estimates from all three “came in significantly higher than the $55.4 million budget previously discussed.”
The proposals were required to include comprehensive information on schedules and staffing, general and indirect costs breakdowns, general contractor fees and an initial guaranteed maximum price budget based on the schematic design.
“The consensus provided by the contractors is that the base program … would cost approximately $75 million all in with a contractor hard cost budget set at $62 million as scoped in the Schematic Design packaged priced,” adds the memo.
Already, the town has begun the process of reconciling the large gap between its initial budget and the market cost estimates from the contractors. According to the memo, this has included reviewing the design with input from the contractors to create a more realistic cost and budget for the project. The memo sets this number at an overall cost of $68.8 million.
To balance this discrepancy, the project team also created several alternative scenarios.
The first scenario reduced the overall scope of the remodel including leaving the existing roof in place, eliminating a mezzanine level from the design (which would have added capacity to the arena) as well as simplifying and reducing the scope of the south and west entries, lounge and concession flex space, plaza and streetscape 久久热精品视频app, and potential loading dock and storage 久久热精品视频app. All other elements remain as previously proposed.
Want the news to come to you? Get the top stories in your inbox every morning. Sign up here: VailDaily.com/newsletter
The memo reports that this brings the Dobson remodel back into the $55.4 million budget “with one major exception.”
“A sub-option for the cost of reinforcing the structure is not determined at this time but will be investigated by the team,” the memo adds.
The second scenario includes replacing the roof and deferring many other elements of the previously proposed schematic. Under this scenario, the scope of the west entry, plaza and streetscape 久久热精品视频app would be reduced, and the loading and storage dock 久久热精品视频app simplified. This option comes with a price tag of around $61 million.
“The argument is that addressing the roof now will create space for future program expansion and that this approach may prove advantageous in sequencing of our program,” read the memo.
The third scenario would only “address critical issues of the arena at this time,” including replacing its mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems as well as the ice. This has a price of around $34 million.
“This is leaving Dobson functioning as it is and moving beyond this project,” reads the memo. “If, in the future, there is a desire to revisit the program elements of Dobson, a separate project, budget and funding would need to be developed to add major elements.”
With the town still grappling with how to move ahead, staff will seek Town Council’s input on the future of Dobson as well as approval to finalize a preconstruction agreement with one of the contractors. The staff is also looking to study the program options for six to eight more weeks and bring back a final program for consideration to council in the future.
The Vail Town Council meeting on Tuesday, March 5 is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. The meeting will be held in person in the Vail Town Council Chambers (75 South Frontage Road) and streamed online via Zoom, Facebook and High Five Media’s Live on Five.
On Tuesday, the Town Council is only holding one meeting 鈥� rather than its typical afternoon and evening session 鈥� as it is hosting its annual community meeting at Donovan Pavilion (1600 South Frontage Road) at 5 p.m. The Dobson discussion is the first item on the meeting’s agenda. Public comment is estimated to begin just before 2 p.m., however, the town warns these times are approximate and subject to change.
For more information on the meeting 鈥� including how to participate and provide commentary 鈥� visit .
