By Ryan O’Connor
Staff Writer

A $1 million donation Eugene and Anne Slusser to build a new senior center in Hopkinton may not be enough after the initial bid on the project came in nearly 50 percent higher than expected.

Milstone Engineering and Construction of Concord, the company handpicked by the town for the project, submitted a $1.45 million estimate to build the center, which will be placed at Houston Fields next to the Hopkinton Library.

Don Lane, the selectmen’s representative and chairman of the Slusser Center Committee, said the estimate is not reasonable from his and other officials’ perspectives, but the two sides are re-evaluating the cost of the project.

“We’ve been working on it and we’ve chopped about $250,000 so far. We’re not finished yet,” Lane said. “We’re bringing it more and more into line every day.”

Among the items the town may be looking to cut are some energy-efficient options discussed at two public hearings during the summer, including spray-in insulation, a modern heating and air-conditioning system, low-energy glass, light sensors and a dimming feature to automatically adjust indoor lighting with natural light from outside.

According to Town Administrator Ed Wojnowski, those items will cost 3 percent more up front, but may save the town a one-third of the building’s energy costs down the road.

Still, Lane said, the town will make cuts where appropriate to make the cost reasonable.

“We’ll still look at those types of (energy-efficient) things, but we have to be responsible about it. If it’s going to cost considerably more than we have to spend, then we won’t,” Lane said. “We may pick and choose between some of those things and we certainly want to build as green a building as we can, but still use common sense because we don’t have the money to experiment.”

Should the cost still exceed $1 million, officials will not ask the town for extra money, said Lane.

“We’re going to start fundraising in November to try to make up the difference and also encourage people to donate various items that can be used at the center,” Lane said. “I’m pretty confident we will be able to get it done. This town has been very supportive of practically everything like this in the past.”

The only cost to Hopkinton, once the senior center is open, will be for maintenance and operations, which will run about $28,000 to $35,000 per year, Lane said.

“We aren’t adding any key personnel, which would impact that cost considerably,” he said. “We’re moving people around, like the social services director and recreation director, who will both be operating out of that building, which eliminates the need to add another person.”

Robert Mattes, the town recreation director, has been in charge of the facility since Columbia Hall was closed as a community center last month.

In addition, the two-story Slusser Center will house the town’s human services office, food pantry and Dial-a-Ride desk, among other services.

The town recreation offices will remain at Columbia Hall.

Construction on the new 7,344-sqaure-foot building is set to begin this month and, although slightly delayed, Lane expects the timetable will be close to the original plan.

“We’re still moving ahead and still planning on an April opening for it,” he said. “That’s our target and were not going to miss it by much.”