Council authorizes $4.28 million contract for Grand Junction materials recovery facility phase 1

The Grand Junction City Council voted 7-0 to authorize a $4,281,380 construction contract with KR Construction Group Inc. for Phase 1 building modifications at the city's materials recovery facility (MRF).

Director of General Services Jared Timothy told council the city recently transitioned from dual-stream to single-stream recycling and that participation rose roughly 3% in the first month. Phase 1 modifications will remove walls, construct recessed concrete pits, upgrade mechanical/electrical/plumbing systems and add fire suppression to prepare the facility for equipment scheduled to arrive on Aug. 3.

Timothy said staff received a single responsive proposal for Phase 1 (KR Construction, Colorado Springs) and attributed the limited response to a compressed schedule between final design and equipment arrival. He said design for Phase 2 is 90% complete and that additional funding (a second tranche of certificates of participation) will be sought for later work including administrative spaces, mezzanine construction, public education space and full systems integration.

Councilmember Stout moved to authorize the city manager to enter the contract; Mayor Pro Tem Laura Lutz seconded. The motion passed unanimously. The contract authorization enables staff to finalize the agreement and begin the construction work needed to receive and install the MRF equipment.

Timothy also noted the city submitted reimbursement requests related to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for collection and processing and expects further reimbursement determinations in June 2026.

Next steps: Staff will finalize the contract and proceed with Phase 1 construction in coordination with equipment delivery and the operating partner (Bruin Waste).