Graham is back to the proverbial drawing board this week after the city received only two bids for its plans to construct a new municipal park at 129 West Elm Street.
The city had sought bids for the work for “design build services through the design build bridging delivery process.”
That methodology involves a two-phase project where the city would hire an initial designer to create “bridging” documents (design criteria), followed by a separate design-builder to finish the design and build the project.
The city received only two bids, assistant city manager Aaron Holland told the city council at its monthly meeting Tuesday night.
State law requires a minimum of three bids, so Holland told the council that the city would re-bid the project, with bids due next Thursday, April 23.
The only bids received, Holland later told the newspaper, were from Chadco and CT Wilson Construction. Those companies will have to submit new bids; the existing, unopened bids do not carry over, Holland explained.
Holland explained that the city will not be constrained in opening bids in a re-bid process, but will forward the bids to the council for consideration for the “lowest responsible, responsive” bidder for the project.
The city’s parameters include a requirement for construction to be completed by June 30.
Some members of the council this week worried over whether the week’s delay would end up pushing the city beyond its June 30, 2026 deadline.
The city is currently planning to use $483,000 remaining from a $600,000 grant included in the 2023 state budget, as designated by state senator Amy Galey, to fund the project.
But city officials told council members that they have been unable to ascertain from Galey’s office or the state budget office whether the city will be able to get an extension on use of the funds, which are currently scheduled to expire June 30.
Mayor Chelsea Dickey raised the question of whether the council should consider an “easy but needed project” that could quickly be implemented as a substitute in the event that the deadline for use of the funds is not extended.
Dickey alerted her colleagues that the council may need to schedule a special meeting in order to act on the latest bids for the park construction.
