After two separate delays prevented the start of construction this summer, most bids have finally been awarded that will allow work to get underway on the new Bartholomew County Highway Garage.
Eight of nine contracts were awarded Monday by the Bartholomew County commissioners for the new facility near Petersville, just east of the Clay Township Fire Department on East 25th St.
“This is a good day,” county highway superintendent Dwight Smith said. “We can finally get started, and hopefully have the guys move into a new building within a year or so.”
Although the highway department will still be at the current garage near State Street and Gladstone Avenue this winter, Smith said there might be unfinished space at the Petersville site that will allow for limited indoor equipment maintenance work this winter.
“That’s better than working on them outside,” the highway superintendent said.
Initial site work is expected to begin within the next 60 days, project co-consultant David Doup said. But a timetable that includes groundbreaking and a completion date won’t be available until after all contractors meet to establish schedules, Doup said.
As opposed to contracting one large firm to do all the work, the county commissioners hoped to save substantial money by hiring a number of smaller firms to do separate projects on the new garage. Doup had broken down the entire project into nine separate categories that include site work, electrical, metal building systems, fencing and mechanical equipment.
But when bids were received June 13, most of the categories only received one bid. In addition, most contractor proposals were over budget, so the awarding of bids were tabled indefinitely.
A few weeks earlier, delays were also created after a representative of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management said there could be wetlands in the construction area. After several weeks, IDEM personnel completed an investigation that found only a small and manageable concern.
On Aug. 5, the county council was told that Doup and another co-consultant, Charlie Day, had successfully managed to work with the bidders to bring their bids down to within the county’s budget. It’s now estimated these negotiations reduced the total cost by about $1.4 million, Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz said.
In addition, the Federal Reserve’s reduction of its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of 1 percent in July resulted in about $140,000 in addition savings over the duration of the 10-year bond, Kleinhenz said.
On Monday, eight out of nine projects were awarded by the commissioners, with the total cost established at $7.1 million. That’s lower than the $7.5 million price tag originally anticipated by county leaders — and substantially less than the $9.4 million maximum price brought up as a warning to county officials in February.
Last fall, the Bartholomew County Council approved a maximum $6 million in bonds for the new highway garage. Money to cover shortfalls will likely come from other established county sources, such as the “Rainy Day” reserve fund, council members said.
The only category that was not awarded Monday for the highway garage was for general trades, which includes interior work such as framing, carpentry, doors, frames and cabinets. Doup says he expects to break that category down into smaller projects. While some work may be contracted out, there will be general trade projects that will likely be done by county employees, Doup said.
Of the eight bids that were awarded, five contracts are going to Bartholomew County firms, while the remaining three were awarded to firms headquartered in adjacent counties, Doup said.
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Site work – Milestone Contractors, LP, Columbus: $1,887,883.
Metal building systems, floors and foundation – Force Construction Co., Inc., Columbus: $1,526,536.
Mechanical – Circle R Mechanical Contractor, Inc., Columbus: $1,218,569.
Electrical – Gaylor Electric, Inc., Columbus: $832,700.
Overhead & sectional doors – Kyko Garage Door LLC, North Vernon: $71,780.
Post-frame wood building – Larry Mohr Construction, Inc., Flat Rock: $335,924.
Site fencing – Made-Rite Fence Co. LLC, Petersville: $129,226.
Fueling station – Midwest Maintenance & Construction Co. Inc., Franklin: $152,125.
General trades – No bids received. Services have not yet been awarded. Estimated cost: $950,592.
Total for all low bids, alternatives and options: $7,105,335.
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