State auditors have released a report criticizing the University of Connecticut for failing to control tens of millions of dollars in cost overruns in the construction of its satellite campus in downtown Hartford. The auditors report found that initial contracts estimated a total campus project budget including the renovation of the former Hartford Times Building of $87 million. It found the final construction costs were nearly $117 million. UConn responded by saying that it is customary and reasonable at the outset of a multifaceted project to use "preliminary benchmarks," which are later adjusted.
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