Design team gives cost estimate and recommends soliciting bids with an optional concession/bathroom

Sam presented a line‑item opinion of probable cost for the Spencer’s Landing design and outlined how the council could structure bidding to capture optional work pricing. He listed line items: stage roughly $870,000; restroom about $605,000; site development around $1.3 million, producing a construction subtotal near $2.8 million. Sam recommended a 10% contingency (about $280,000) and included a placeholder for bidding and construction administration; he characterized the numbers as an opinion of cost, not bid prices.

Staff described a solicitation strategy: issue a single bid package for exhibits A, B and C and require bidders to also submit a price for an optional exhibit D (concession/bathroom). That approach would provide council with numbers for the optional work at bid time and allow council to decide whether to include option D when awarding construction. Sam said a rough schematic for the optional bathroom could be produced quickly (he estimated about $1,000 for a basic schematic plan) so the option could be priced as part of the solicitation. Council approved moving forward with the bidding approach and asked Sam to return with revised drawings and a condensed summary of changes at the next meeting.