Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
James Monroe Park renovation bids come in far above earlier engineer estimate; council told market drove costs
Summary
Council staff told residents that bids for James Monroe Park improvements returned between about $2.04 million and $2.7 million, significantly higher than an earlier engineer's estimate of $1.528 million; the project includes new concession stand, ADA restrooms, commercial septic, well and site improvements.
A long-planned renovation of James Monroe Park in Monroe Township drew questions on Jan. 6 after residents asked how the project escalated from the original engineer’s estimate to a higher set of contractor bids.
Town staff and the township engineer explained that the original estimate of $1,528,000 dated from roughly two years earlier and served only as an estimate. When the project was bid this cycle, project specifications included 77 bid items with several lump-sum line items. The township received six bids; the lowest was about $2,037,000 and bids rose to approximately $2,700,000. Staff said the bids were consistent with current market pricing and a roughly 5% step between the lowest and subsequent bidders.
Project scope described by staff includes replacement of the existing concession stand and restrooms with a new building that will contain ADA-compliant restrooms and an updated concession area; a commercial septic system sized to handle the building and future site improvements (including grease traps); new water service and a new well to address intermittent low water supply at current well; ADA-compliant walking-path improvements; and electrical upgrades.
Staff noted the engineer’s estimate is not shared with bidders before bidding and that the estimate primarily serves as a planning benchmark; final contract awards will follow established procurement procedures and the item will appear on the regular meeting agenda for formal action.
Ending: Staff said the project has been under development for about two-and-a-half years and that the bid results reflect current market conditions; the contract award and next procurement steps will be handled at the council’s regular meeting.
