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Council rejects current MakerSpace bid, directs staff to explore design-build alternative
Summary
After bids came in higher than budgeted, the council rejected the current low bid for the MakerSpace retrofit and asked staff to explore design-build or other delivery alternatives to improve value and meet the city's scope and budget goals.
The Mayor introduced Director Matt to brief the council on the MakerSpace project. Matt presented two paths: accept the low bid with cost-saving alternatives or redesign and pursue a different delivery method such as design-build or a construction-manager-at-risk approach.
Councilors questioned the timing, process and whether the project should have been in the CIP. Staff noted the city had previously allocated $2 million for the MakerSpace phase and that the full master-plan buildout was estimated in the range of several million dollars. One staff estimate for the entire master plan appeared in discussion as roughly $9 million.
Members debated delivery-method tradeoffs: design-bid-build (more control but potentially higher cost) versus design-build (more contractor integration with potential value optimization) or CMAR (guaranteed maximum price). Director Matt said design-build could yield a higher-value result for the money and recommended rejecting the current bid and exploring design-build options.
After back-and-forth about scope, roofs and life-cycle concerns, the council reached consensus to reject the current bid and direct staff to pursue design-build or rework the scope to align with the $2 million target and maximize functionality. Staff will return with refined options and cost estimates for council consideration.
