Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facility Maintenance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cumberland County awards $517,000 bid to modernize elevator at 109 Bradford Avenue
Summary
The board awarded H.M. Kern the lowest responsive bid of $517,000 on March 5 to begin phase 1 of elevator modernization at the Bradford Building, with further switchgear replacements expected about a year out.
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners approved a contract March 5 to modernize one elevator at the 109 Bradford Avenue (Bradford Building), awarding H.M. Kern the lowest responsive bid of $517,000.
Jermaine Walker, director of engineering and infrastructure, told the board the project will be carried out in two phases. Phase 1 replaces the elevator that is powered by the newer Square D switch gear; a subsequent phase will replace an older Federal Pacific switch gear that was installed in the late 1970s. Walker said the county has been phasing out the older Federal Pacific gear and plans to address the remaining switch gear in a later contract.
Bids received for the work were Progressive ($565,000), Barr ($520,000) and H.M. Kern ($517,000). Commissioner Tyson moved to award the contract to H.M. Kern as the lowest responsive, responsible bidder; the motion passed unanimously.
Timeline and constraints: Walker told commissioners that replacement of the obsolete switch gear is currently estimated at about a year out, which affects scheduling for the second phase. The county said work on the historic courthouse will begin March 28 as part of its broader switch‑gear replacement plan; the Bradford Building modernization will follow as phase 1.
Why it matters: The elevator modernization is part of the county’s capital plan and addresses equipment identified as original to older county buildings. The work is intended to improve reliability and to replace switch gear that has been phased out nationally.
Vote and next steps: The board voted unanimously to approve H.M. Kern as the contractor for phase 1. Staff will schedule the work and coordinate sequencing with planned switch‑gear replacements and other capital projects.
