Wildwood staff say reassembly bids for Essen Log Cabin vary widely; council paused contractor selection

A Wildwood planning department representative told the Historic Preservation Commission on April meeting night that bids to reassemble the Essen Log Cabin ranged from about $144,000 to nearly $500,000, prompting City Council to delay a final contractor selection.

The department said two bids clustered near $320,000 and that the other two were at opposite ends — one “very high bid, almost a half a million dollars, and a very low bid, around $144,000,” the staff representative reported. The department recommended negotiating with the two mid-range bidders; Council’s Planning and Parks Committee considered but did not adopt that recommendation and deferred final action to the council’s May meeting.

The staff update said the city reallocated funds earlier in the year to reduce the gap between the 2025 budget and the bids, making the project “feasible” if a contractor is selected. The department also said outreach will be part of the follow-up: the Planning and Parks Committee plans to discuss a program to solicit in‑kind services, materials and contributions from residents to support preservation and other projects.

Council committee members at the meeting raised concerns about a contractor identified in the packet as Bombshell Construction because that company is the primary general contractor on the Village Green project and the Village Green schedule is already roughly five months behind. That overlap was cited as one reason the committee deferred action. The department said Charette Creek Excavating, which the staff recommended, “has done at least five cabin reassemblies of a very similar nature” and indicated that the Charette Creek representative told staff he would hold his bid price.

Commissioners asked whether bidders would hold prices given market volatility; the staff replied Charette Creek expressed willingness to hold the quoted price and had suggested ideas to reduce cost. No formal action on the cabin selection was taken by the Historic Preservation Commission at the meeting; the department will present additional information to City Council at its May meeting.

The commission also learned the department will investigate access, contracting concerns and outreach options before the council votes. The presentation concluded with staff offering to answer questions and with commissioners pressing for clarity on timing and contractor responsibilities.