The meeting "change" has been a long time in the planning, that's clear from the amount of material already produced.
I have also ready stated on here a couple of times that announcing the Bethel cuts as close as possible to the AGM and the meeting change does allow for the distraction of the latter to dilute discussion of the Bethel cuts. Don't forget as well that if you are not close to people in Bethel or have your ear to the JW gossip network then you may not have any inkling of the cuts and slowdown in construction.
The critical question is how long the cuts have been planned. Is it a knee jerk reaction to some sudden realisation about finances or has it been a plan B for some time? My gut says the former since I think they could have slowed some construction down far sooner if they knew they were likely going to cut the workforce.
Either way, I don't think the timing of the announcement about cuts was coincidental. I think it was made as close to the AGM and it's announcements as possible but not so close (i.e. 2/3 days before) so that it was all that was being talked about.
The current saying of the moment is about how fecking fast the chariot is moving and how we all need to be running around like demented chickens trying to keep on board. The GB have created this sense of momentum and the R&F have caught onto it. The only problem with this is having to keep introducing change to keep the sense of momentum up. It is already getting to the point of change simply for change sake.