Christian County approves low bid for Phase 2 office renovation; board confirms contract award

Christian County officials approved awarding the construction contract for the Phase 2 office interior renovation after staff recommended the lowest qualified bidder.

At the meeting, the senior project manager said an Invitation to Bid was advertised Jan. 8, a well-attended pre-bid meeting was held Jan. 22, and bids were received Feb. 5. The scope covers an interior renovation of about 16,000 square feet; seven bids were submitted and the procurement included two addenda. After interviews with two finalists, staff recommended awarding the work to Arning Companies as the lowest responsive bidder.

Dan Close of Navigate, the owner’s representative, said the recommended contractor proposed a substantially shorter schedule and will self-perform much of the carpentry work, which "control[s] schedule much better" by avoiding reliance on outside subcontractors. Close described the project as a "fairly straightforward interior finished project" and said Navigate will provide day-to-day oversight.

Board members and staff discussed the contractor’s proposed timeline and accountability measures. A board member confirmed the contractor proposed 110 calendar days to substantial completion and noted liquidated-damage provisions were posted; another participant said contract enforcement could include up to "$500 a day" in penalties if milestones are not met. Speakers emphasized that the 110 days are calendar days, not working days, and that some procurement items (for example rooftop units or transfer switches) could require short extensions without additional cost.

One commissioner highlighted cost savings: the initial rough estimate had been about $3.2 million, but the formal bids came in roughly $1.4 million lower than that early estimate. That speaker also stated, "this money is not coming out of general revenue," explaining the county plans to use proceeds from sales of other county property rather than bonding or borrowing to fund the work.

Unidentified Speaker 4 moved to approve ITB 2026-1 (Campus office); another participant seconded. The board approved the motion by voice vote; members answered "aye" and the motion carried.

Next steps: staff and Navigate will proceed with contracting and project oversight; the contractor’s 110-calendar-day timeline and contract enforcement provisions will guide milestone tracking and potential penalties. The meeting record contains the bid package, references, and the procurement files retained by county staff.