(Published Tuesday, March 13, 2007 11:29:02 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Frank Schultz Gazette staff
Opening bids is like opening Christmas presents.
If the bids come in lower than you expect, you're happy. If they come in higher, you might have to cut something out of the project.
Rock County officials found no lumps of coal when they opened bids Monday at the courthouse.
The estimate for the UW-Rock County building expansion project was $11.7 million. The low bid was $9.24 million.
Officials were pleased.
"It's well within what we expected," said UW-Rock Dean Diane Pillard.
An artist's rendering shows what the proposed UW-Rock County library addition might look like. Work will begin this spring.
Work is expected to start this spring on Allen Hall, named after the late Marion Allen of Milton, a longtime UW-Rock benefactor.
The building will include a library, an expansion of the existing Hyatt Smith Hall and other improvements.
J.F. Findorff & Son of Madison was the lowest of five bidders. Miron Construction of Neenah was second at $9.46 million. J.P. Cullen & Sons of Janesville was third at $9.83 million.
Those bids include six alternate add-ons that the county board could decide to approve or delete.
The UW-Rock Foundation has $1 million in pledges to help pay for the building, so the county will have to pony up $8.24 million if the board approves all six alternatives.
Findorff also was the low bidder on the base bid at $8.95 million.
The add-ons include expanding the basement level of Hyatt Smith Hall underneath the newly expanded part, installing energy-saving glass on existing windows, replacing outdoor lighting, replacing urinals, and adding a sound system for the commons.
The county board's general services committee will look at the bids Tuesday, March 20. The full board will consider them Thursday, March 22.
Rob Leu, county director of general services, said the county board is bound by law to approve the low bidder.
Findorff expects to complete Phase 1 by Jan. 21, 2008; Phase 2 by April 28, 2008; and Phase 3 by Dec. 28, 2008.
The Allen Hall project is separate from the much smaller UW-Rock Engineering Center. Groundbreaking for that project is slated for Thursday.
