Bids accepted for new parks department maintenance facility
May 16—GOSHEN — After hitting a snag back in December, plans for the construction of a new maintenance facility for the Goshen Parks and Recreation Department are once again moving forward.
During their meeting Monday afternoon, Goshen Board of Public Works and Safety members accepted two bids for the planned facility's construction. Submitting bids were:
—Nuway Construction of Goshen with a bid of $2.4 million; and
—R. Yoder Construction of Nappanee with a bid of $3.1 million.
Following acceptance of the bids, the board's members voted to refer the bids on to the city's legal department for review and a contract recommendation.
PROJECT DELAYED
Plans for the new maintenance facility have been in the works since November of 2021, when board members granted Goshen Redevelopment Director Becky Hutsell permission to seek bids for the project.
The plans involve constructing a new maintenance facility for the department on city-owned property at 610 E. Plymouth Ave., just to the northeast of the parks department's administration office at 524 E. Jackson St.
Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman, speaking during the board's Nov. 15 meeting, noted that the city administration has been considering relocating the department's current maintenance facility, located at the north end of Shanklin Park, for nearly a decade, as that area is prone to flooding.
"They often have to move everything in advance of rain storms to prevent damage," Hutsell added during the meeting. "This will be catty-corner from the new parks administration office, at the northeast corner of that intersection. So, it will be a nice combination of services."
However, during the board's Dec. 13 meeting, Goshen Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Tanya Heyde noted that only one bid for the project had been received by the Dec. 6 deadline, and the proposed cost was more than 20% higher than the original engineering estimate for the project.
Submitting the lone bid was R. Yoder Construction. The firm submitted a base bid of $2.7 million, as well as two alternate bids that both hovered around $2.8 million.
According to Heyde, the original engineering estimate for the project, which is being developed and funded jointly by the Goshen Redevelopment Commission and city government, had been estimated to be roughly $2 million.
"Based upon the review of the bids, the staff is recommending that the proposal be rejected," Heyde said during the Dec. 13 meeting, noting that there were insufficient funds available to proceed with the project at the price being proposed by R Yoder Construction.
In the end, the board's members voted unanimously to reject R. Yoder Construction's bid proposal.
Asked if she planned on putting the project out for bid again at a later date, Heyde responded in the affirmative.
"We're hoping to be able to do that," she said.
Goshen Redevelopment Commission members would also vote to reject the bid proposal during their Dec. 14 meeting.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, board members:
—Approved the closure of North Eighth Street between Middlebury and Summit streets for three days beginning Tuesday to allow for the repair of a sewer main.
—Approved the closure of the intersection of South Fifth Street and East Washington Street for three days beginning Wednesday to allow for the repair of a sewer main.
—Extended a conditional offer of employment to Evan Baker as a probationary firefighter with the Goshen Fire Department. The board's members will be asked to confirm the offer of employment when a position becomes available at the department.
—Approved a request by the Historic Southside Neighborhood Association for permission to close the 500 block of South Seventh Street from 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 27 for the association's annual picnic and block party.
—Approved the granting of a Goshen electrical license to Jeffrey Olszewski of Orchard Electric, Alsip, Illinois.
—Approved the granting of a Goshen mechanical license to Kerry Nott of J.O. Mory Inc., Wolcottville.
