Jackson park bathroom project more costly than expected

The Jackson Board of Aldermen is expected to decide Monday whether to proceed with a proposed restroom in Jackson City Park near the girls' softball fields or delay the project after bids were higher than expected.

The restroom building is a prefabricated, 20-by-24-foot, concrete structure. Four bids on the building were received, ranging from $212,500 to $224,000, including fixtures and everything else needed to support the building, city engineer Erica Bogenpohl wrote in an email Friday.

These bids did not include site preparation or utility work, Bogenpohl said.

During the May 15 study session, the board heard from Chris Koehler of Koehler Engineering and Land Surveying Inc., who said of five plan holders, one bid was received.

That bid for sewer work, from Boulder Construction, was $117,278.

"The project includes a lift station and force main at a capacity sufficient for the restroom and a concession building, plus site work including but not limited to: mobilization, earthwork, storm sewer installation and a gravel parking lot. There is no other utility work included; that is being performed in-house," Bogenpohl wrote Friday.

Koehler said Koehler Engineering's estimate was $94,586.

Boulder's bid "is significantly over what we had projected," Koehler said.

However, Koehler said, the contractor at Boulder is reputable, but it is not its typical line of work.

"My understanding is they're subbing most work to Jokerst, and there are mark-ups based on that," Koehler said, adding mobilization alone was bid at $23,400.

"It is what it is. It's more than we anticipated it should be," Koehler said, but their recommendation still is to give the award.

As to the building itself, Mike Pollard of Dille Traxel Architecture spoke at the meeting.

Pollard said his company had estimated the building's cost between $175,000 and $180,000. But after four bids were returned, it realized its estimate was not high enough.

"Overall," Pollard said, "the reality is we had four good, solid bids. We would recommend awarding it to the low bidder."

Pollard added during the bidding process, contractors were allowed to give a voluntary alternate. One bidder proposed a concrete block building with a metal roof and porcelain fixtures at a cost of $193,000.

"You have long-term maintenance problems with that model," Pollard said.

"As much as we don't like the price -- we think it's an expensive toilet room, too -- but it's a good price," Pollard said, adding, "Without a significant reduction in scope, we wouldn't expect that number to change significantly other than what [contractors would] try to gift back in order to buy the job."

At Monday's regular board meeting at city hall in Jackson, the aldermen are expected to decide whether to move ahead with the project.

If low bids are accepted, the project's total cost would be $329,778, or $687 per square foot.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address: Jackson City Park, Jackson, Mo.

101 Court St., Jackson, Mo.