Bids for West Elementary’s renovation project have exceeded the budget by almost $800,000. 

A bid opening ceremony was held Thursday, Jan. 31.

Sain Construction Company offered the lowest base bid of $3.76 million. The school system has $3 million allocated for the project. 

Upland Design Group architect Allen Hill said the base bid includes kitchen, cafeteria, adding a loading dock on the Club Drive side of the school, adding boys and girls toilets and hand wash area, adding a corridor to connect new construction to existing building, making alterations inside the existing building, renovating the existing cafeteria into a new library, and renovating the existing kitchen into a computer lab.

Four alternates – additional items of work that may be awarded as part of the contract if the bids come within budget – were also included.

Descriptions:

• Alternate one: miscellaneous renovations in the existing building such moving bookcases, putting up a wall to divide a room into two rooms, miscellaneous painting, etc.;

• Alternate two: new front lobby that would include an elevator to improve handicap accessibility to the main entrance of the school;

• Alternate three: enclosing a stairwell that is located behind the existing cafeteria; 

• Alternate four: adds a classroom, as well as boys and girls toilets to the ballfield side of the building; 

Sain Construction bid $86,300 on one, $582,000 on two, $199,000 on three, and $450,000 on four. Those would add an additional $1.3 million to the project cost, a combined $5 million. 

Merit Construction and FTM Contracting also submitted bids. 

Merit’s base bid was a mere $8,650 above Sain’s. Alternate bids, one thru four: $82,700; $523,800; $154,000; and $519,500. Those would add an additional $1.28 to the project’s cost, and bring Merit’s bid below that of Sain’s by $28,650.

FTM Contracting’s base bid was $4 million. Alternate bids, one thru four: $123,000; $548,000; $174,000; $627,000. Those would add an additional $1.4 million to the project’s cost, a combined $5.5 million. 

“I was pleased with the bids,” said Director of Schools Bobby Cox. “I thought they’d all come in over $4 million."

An electrical upgrade for West Elementary was bid as a separate project. A bid opening ceremony was held Tuesday, Jan. 29. Two bids were received: Warren Mechanical $178,975, and Lawson Electric $208,000.

Construction bids must be presented to Warren County School Board members for their consideration. However, Cox said “executive approval” was given for awarding the electrical bid to Warren Mechanical and he presented that measure to the county’s Financial Management Committee on Thursday night. It was unanimously approved.