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Rio Blanco County de-obligates DOLA grant for Columbine Park expansion, cites runaway construction bids
Summary
The board voted to return a DOLA grant tied to a proposed Columbine Park expansion and emergency operations center after construction bids far exceeded the county’s available matching funds and the project’s scope became infeasible.
Rio Blanco County commissioners voted on July 22 to de-obligate Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) grant funds awarded for a planned expansion and retrofit of the Columbine Park office that county staff had proposed to function as an emergency operations center (EOC) and evacuation site.
County staff recounted the grant history: the county initially budgeted $100,000 and pursued a DOLA Tier 2 grant (50% match, up to $250,000) that awarded the county an additional $100,000, bringing the project budget to roughly $200,000. The plan called for a modest 900-square-foot addition, an updated roof structure and electric heat-pump HVAC to meet energy-efficiency and EOC code requirements.
When the county put the project out to bid, construction bids were far higher than design estimates: the lowest subcontractor-led package returned about $525,000, and other bids exceeded $1 million. Staff said a subsequent county-managed, subcontractor-by-subcontractor procurement approach reduced costs but still left an estimated $175,000 gap to reach the county’s $375,000 internal estimate, leaving the overall scope financially infeasible under current local funding constraints.
The county’s grant manager told commissioners that the DOLA representative recommended returning the funds: "Get it back. I need that money," the staff member said relaying the state contact’s instruction. Commissioners voted to de-obligate the DOLA grant (DOLA record EIAF-O8372) and return the award to the state, citing escalating construction costs and the county’s inability to provide the additional local match.
Staff noted the county preserved design work completed by contracted architects and engineers but said it would not proceed with construction under the existing grant given the funding shortfall. The board authorized staff to notify DOLA through the department’s portal and formally de-obligate the award. Commissioners and staff said they will consider alternative projects and future grant opportunities when construction-market conditions improve.
