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Council awards $4.0M construction contract for downtown beautification, allocates Measure P funds for shortfall
Summary
Council authorized award of the downtown beautification construction contract to Nielsen Construction for the $4,002,000 base bid and agreed to allocate $475,200 from Measure P to cover the funding shortfall; optional shade structures were not included in the allocation and would require additional funds if added.
The El Centro City Council authorized the award of a construction contract for a downtown beautification project that includes town-square renovations, new gateway signage, streetscape furnishings and stormwater upgrades.
Adriana Nava, who presented the project, said the city received a $4,780,000 state grant to carry out the work and received a single bid from Nielsen Construction with a $4,002,000 base price. With a standard 10% construction contingency of $400,200, staff said the total construction need is approximately $4,400,200, producing a small funding shortfall. “We are receiving $4,780,000, which is a significant dollar amount to beautify these spaces,” Nava said, noting the base bid exceeded initial allocations for construction but that the grant package included non-construction items (security services, mural program and special-event support) that influenced the scoring and budget.
Staff recommended awarding the contract to Nielsen Construction and covering the shortfall by allocating $475,200 from Measure P. Council members discussed whether to include $165,000 in shade structures in this award; staff said the shade structures were optional and could be added later if contingency funds or additional allocations become available. One councilmember suggested seeking private donations or civic-group contributions to offset the shade-structure cost.
The council moved, seconded and approved the award and the Measure P allocation. Staff said construction would begin once insurance and contract paperwork are completed, with work expected to take up to 18 months to complete. Nava said the project includes a town-square redesign intended to support vendor stalls and small-event staging and will add benches, closed-capacity trash receptacles and lighting improvements.
