GILROY
– While a review of the bidding and cost-estimating process for
Gilroy’s new police station is apparently still in progress, the
only thing that’s clear so far is that several of the City
Councilmen who will study the issue next week aren’t happy about
the prospect of a $26 million price tag.
GILROY – While a review of the bidding and cost-estimating process for Gilroy’s new police station is apparently still in progress, the only thing that’s clear so far is that several of the City Councilmen who will study the issue next week aren’t happy about the prospect of a $26 million price tag.
All three construction bids for the 48,500-square foot station building itself and underground parking came in more than $8 million – or nearly 50 percent – higher than engineers’ estimates of $17,835,0000.
Some Councilmembers are fairly direct on whether they will accept a $26 million bid.
“Not a chance on $26 million,” said Councilman Bob Dillon Wednesday. “When pigs fly.”
Although he said he’d hate to see more delays, Dillon said he’s nearing the point where he’d consider starting over on the project.
“You can’t chop off parts of a $26 million building and save a lot of money,” he said. “This may need to be rethought … and see what happens.”
The day after the bids came in, Mayor Tom Springer also said he could not personally approve them at that point because of the significant difference from cost estimates.
Others are more reluctant to commit to a specific action on the bid until they hear more explanations from city staff about why the numbers were so much higher than expectations. However, they generally said they weren’t pleased at the difference.
“Right now it’s premature to even comment on it,” said Councilman Al Pinheiro on Wednesday. “I have no other information other than the fact that this came in completely 180 degrees from what I expected.
“Obviously there has to be a look taken at this thing. … Obviously I’m not enthused about approving this kind of an increase. There has to be some answers to it.”
Councilman Roland Velasco said he’s also waiting for more information and expects the Council will take architects and consultants to task on the difference between estimates and bid results.
He also noted the city is building a police station meant to service the needs of Gilroy both today and 20 years into the future.
“I don’t want to take half-step measures to build a police station that the next generations of Councils will have to find the money to upgrade or rebuild,” he said. “I don’t want to pass today’s problem on to somebody else.
“That’s not my style.”
City staff has asked its architect, Rancho Cucamonga-based WLC Associates, and a separate construction management firm to review the bids and estimating process in order to craft a recommendation for Council on what to do next.
City officials said Tuesday that that process is not yet complete and offered few specific details on the results. However, in general terms the discussion that will ultimately take place will be one in which officials talk about reducing the cost and potentially the scope of the station, said City Administrator Jay Baksa.
“It’s a time to vent, a time to explain and then we need to get beyond that” and solve the problem, Baksa said of Monday’s meeting.
So far it does not appear there are mistakes in the bids themselves because all three came in fairly close, Baksa said. Redwood Shores-based S.J. Amoroso Construction Co. bid approximately $26,137,000, Nibbi Brothers Construction $26,700,000 and KH Construction $26,792,000.
The work includes both construction of the station building itself and also a two-level, 200-plus space underground parking garage that WLC Associates estimated in February would cost $5.6 million.
Officials said the garage is designed to eventually serve several buildings in the city’s Civic Center which is surrounded by residential neighborhoods – as it grows and expands. While only police vehicles and other approved city employees – and not the general public – would park inside because of security reasons, officials said the move is meant to free up space for citizens to park near an expanded library and senior center.
While the need for some of the garage’s spaces would be many years out, officials say it’s cheaper and more feasible to construct the structure now.
“The issue is if you don’t build it now, it never gets built,” said Bill Headley, the city’s parks and facilities development manager. “You don’t go under an existing facility and build capacity.”
The bids in question next week do not include several other portions of the project. Including demolition, infrastructure, construction, architectural and engineering services and construction management, WLC estimated in February that the total cost for the project – which includes some other Civic Center infrastructure – would be nearly $25 million dollars.
