OLIVIA -- With final cost estimates in hand, the Renville County Board of Commissioners authorized the development of bidding specifications for a new jail and law enforcement center, along with an office facility for the Health and Human Services, County Attorney and Public Health departments.
The commissioners voted unanimously at a special meeting Tuesday to move the projects forward.
The combined projects will cost $9,957,578, according to estimates provided by the construction managers, Contegrity Group Inc. of Little Falls.
The combined project will be bid in early February, with expectations of awarding construction bids on March 13.
The new facilities could be ready for occupancy in August 2008 if the project goes as planned, according to the project's architect, Scott Fettig of Klein McCarthy Architects, St. Louis Park.
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The board of commissioners agreed to go forward only after hearing final cost estimates for the project that keep it within the original budget.
The jail and law enforcement center will represent an estimated $6,294,319 of the total and the Health and Human Services building an estimated $3,663,258, according to figures presented by Larry Filippi of Contegrity Group.
Filippi told the commissioners that he is confident that construction bids for the project will meet the budget. The project was pared by an estimated $346,800 to reach the current projections.
Along with the revisions made to the plans, Filippi noted that the county should benefit by a competitive construction market. "It's an excellent time to bid the project out,'' he told the commissioners.
The project will be divided into 30 separate bid packages. Separating the work should increase the number of smaller, local firms that could bid on the project, Filippi said.
The commissioners awarded $9.7 million in bonds in August and earmarked $1.5 million in county reserves for the project. They have emphasized that the project must stay within budget, as they are seeking to limit the tax impact of the project.
If the bids should come in higher than anticipated, Filippi said the project has a 5 percent contingency fund. In such a situation, the construction firm would also work with contractors to find other ways to pare costs, he added.
