MARION — Cutting costs was the theme of the Marion Department of Public Works Building Committee meeting on Monday, Feb. 13.

Voters approved of the initial $4.5 million cost of construction of the new facility during May Town Meeting.

The project will replace the current deteriorating DPW building. 

The project would include a salt storage facility and a covered parking structure where machinery would be kept as well as an operations center equipped with a break room, lockers and storage. 

The rising costs of materials and construction along with additional space requested by the DPW have raised the current estimated total construction cost to $4,861,248.

“I don’t think the building cost will go down,” said Marion Select Board chair Randy Parker. “I think the investment for the town to get as much done as they could would be a good one.”

The committee favored the most cost effective pole barn construction method but did not hold a vote during the meeting.

Architect Will Saltonstall presented the three construction methods including a pre-engineered metal, stick frame, and pole barn construction method.

A pole barn construction method consists of multiple poles being placed in concrete to support the structure.

“It is a hybrid strategy that is the most cost effective,” said Saltonstall.

According to Saltonstall, the pole barn construction method will deduct $835,593 from the $4.9 estimated total cost, bringing the price back down to the approved $4.5 million. 

He explained that the pole barn construction method will use less concrete than other options, helping to cut the cost. Saltonstall also suggested that the DPW perform some of the  exterior construction, including work on the connecting sewer line to cut costs. 

“There are pieces of this project that we might purchase independently,rather than bundling this whole thing,” said Saltonstall, who also suggested bidding out to contractors for parts of the project to save money.

Other cost-cutting ideas presented by Saltonstall include involving students from Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School to work on the interior of the building. Upper Cape Tech students helped Marion in the past. Last year, they constructed a covered walkway at the Benjamin Cushing Community Center.

“I think the best next steps would be to meet up with the DPW crew and talk a bit further about building interior building details,” said Saltonstall.