An update on the new public safety building project was given to the Knoxville City Council at their meeting Monday night.

According to the update, ten bid packages were received when bids opened on October 14th. Wendel Companies, who is the architect for the project, reviewed the bids and found six bid packages to be complete, compliant, and within an acceptable cost range. Additionally, four bid packages for site/utility, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical presented issues that prevented a recommendation of the awarding of a bid. It was recommended to the council to authorize the issuing of Notices of Intent to Award the six bid packages deemed acceptable at their next meeting on December 1st, while the four bids that presented issues undergo a targeted cost-saving and scope-refinement review before going back out for bid. Knoxville City Manager Heather Ussery says that the start of the project will be delayed until the spring, but that it ultimately could help save on some of the costs that were anticipated with winter construction. 

“The delayed start for site and utility is unfortunate, and having to go again through the rebidding process and do that over again; but overall with the winter work, there’s additional costs within that like having to heat the foundation and things like that that will then be pulled from the rebidding. So, there will be overall cost savings in that package. And then just with that type and line of work, I think that maybe held us back in some of the number of bids that we got. So, being a spring construction and bidding early in the calendar year, I hope that it’ll drum up some additional competitive bidding and will help overall with the project.”

Hear more about the public safety building project update from Heather Ussery on today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville.