Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Procurement Construction topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Civic Center Commission approves $614,444 bid for trash-room enclosure, doubling original estimate
Summary
The Civic Center Commission approved a $614,444 construction bid for a trash-room enclosure — roughly double the commission’s $300,000 estimate — after staff cited limited competition and uncertain material costs.
The Civic Center Commission approved a $614,444 construction contract for a trash-room enclosure at the City of Worcester’s convention center, voting to accept an overage compared with the project’s original $300,000 estimate.
Commission staff said the bid came in significantly higher than the estimate and attributed the difference to limited competition and uncertain material pricing. "We really couldn't nail it down on one specific thing," said Matt, staff member. "It could potentially be a lack of competition... We had 0 electrical bids, so the GC had to pull their electrical under them as a direct subcontractor."
The recommendation to accept the $614,444 bid went to a roll-call vote after staff explained the gap and the procurement timeline. Commissioners recorded their votes in favor: Commissioner Giuffredo, Commissioner Kevin Gould, Commissioner McElroy and Commissioner Tony Economo voted yes; the motion was approved.
Staff told the commission that some single-bid situations and tight schedules had produced previous outlier results, and that other recent projects had come in both under and over estimate. Matt noted the 180-day price-hold requirement bidders must honor, which can induce higher initial bid prices to cover potential material-cost volatility. "Legally, they are required to hold that price for a hundred and 80 days once they bid it," he said.
Commission members asked whether staff and the Office of Building Management (OBM) had vetted the general contractor and subtrades; staff said OBM participated in interviews and that the architect and OBM engaged in the review process. The commission directed staff to finalize contract documents and proceed with standard procurement closing steps.
The contract award will move forward with a kickoff meeting including the general contractor, architect, OBM and ASM Global representatives to coordinate schedule and responsibilities. Staff said mobilization is planned to begin in July to complete the work in the July–August window.
Costs, bid details and reasons for limited competition were discussed on the record; no further contingency or alternative procurement paths were offered at the meeting.
