State architects warn DNRC bunkhouses and MDT storage buildings need more money; committee asks for prioritization

Russ Catherman, of the Department of Administration's Architecture and Engineering Division, briefed the Interim Budget Committee on capital projects the division is shepherding and focused on two programmatic pressure points: new DNRC bunkhouses for wildland crews and aging Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) equipment storage buildings.

Catherman said the bunkhouse designs (Anaconda model, Clearwater variations) incorporate kitchens, sleeping quarters, equipment storage and training spaces and are intended to help recruitment and retention. But he warned that "soft costs" (professional fees, geotechnical studies, code compliance and federal accessibility standards) and necessary robustness for dormitory-type living pushed per-unit costs far above earlier estimates. "We do have bids: the Anaconda and Clearwater under construction," he said, but the division is exploring scope reductions and limited supplementals to complete projects.

On MDT storage buildings, A&E showed that a $5.3 million appropriation for five storage sites is now insufficient: updated square-foot cost calculations and 2021'to'2023 inflation adjustments mean the projects would need roughly an additional $11 million to complete all five. Committee members asked how many bidders projects receive (A&E: generally three to five, larger sites up to 11) and requested plan sets, bid packages and a soft-cost breakdown to inform prioritization and potential supplemental requests.

Members urged the administration to prioritize getting as many projects started and finished as possible within existing funds rather than waiting for supplemental appropriations. Catherman said they will follow that approach and coordinate with the budget office on DNRC and MDT projects.