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Council adds Great Falls Visitor Center to CPST projects, awards $2.624 million construction bid
Summary
Council amended an ordinance to allow capital-project sales tax (CPST) excess funds to cover a shortfall and awarded a $2,624,000 construction contract for the Great Falls Visitor Center; the county will assume project management at the town's request.
Chester County Council voted to amend its ordinance governing use of excess capital-project sales tax (CPST) funds to include the Great Falls Visitor Center and approved a $2,624,000 construction bid for the project.
County staff told council that CPST currently shows a conservative available balance of about $2,245,458 and that the Great Falls Visitor Center bid from J. M. Cope of Rock Hill came in at $2,624,000, leaving a shortfall of $226,250. The county also reported $2,675,000 was initially allotted for the Great Falls visitor-center project, with $248,000 recorded for engineering and architecture and $32,000 spent by the town for asbestos and lead work.
Staff asked council to amend Ordinance 2021-18 (as amended) to add the visitor center as an eligible use of excess CPST funds so the county can apply those available funds to close the shortfall and complete the project to original specifications. Council approved the first reading of the ordinance amendment (2025-8) and then approved the bid award, enabling staff to issue a notice to proceed as soon as possible; staff stated the project timeline is about 10 months.
Staff also said Great Falls Town Council requested that the county take over project management after the town's mayor resigned and the town underwent staff changes. County officials said the county already administers contract payments for the project and has established relationships with the selected builder and the engineering firm, and accepted the town’s request to manage the remainder of the project.
Council approved the ordinance amendment and the bid award by voice vote; the meeting record shows both measures were accepted without recorded roll-call tallies.
County staff said they will issue a notice to proceed to the contractor following approval and continue project oversight, with project completion expected within the 10-month schedule described to council.
