Courthouse project bids over estimates

Van Wert independent

It’s back to the drawing board — or rather the bid table — for the Van Wert County Board of Commissioners, after bids for the Van Wert County Common Pleas Court renovation project topped cost estimates by more than the 10 percent allowably by state law.

Projected cost of the project is $471,900, which includes upgrading of lighting and the air-conditioning system, as well as restoration painting and restoration of the stained-glass ceiling. With the 10 percent overage allowed, that would bring the maximum allowable bid to $519,090.

However, low bids the base bid packages (construction, HVAC, electrical and glass restoration) came in at $582,905 — substantially higher than the 10 percent overage allowed. Low bids for all the bid areas, including the three alternate packages (LED lighting, restoration painting and a courtroom sound system) bring the total of $593,624.

Low bidders in all of the bid areas are as follows:

• Construction – Heyne Construction of Minster, $273,000.
• HVAC – Ayers Mechanical Group of Van Wert, $139,505.
• Electrical – Bender Electric of St. Henry, $108,000.
• Glass restoration work – Window Creations of Ottoville, $62,400.
• Alternate 1 (LED lighting) – Alexander & Bebout of Van Wert, $1,999.
• Alternate 2 (Restoration painting) – Miller Contracting, $1,500.
• Alternate 3 (Courtroom sound system) – Buschur Electric of Minster, $7,220.

Bruce Miller of Garmann/Miller, architects for the project, will review the bids, rebidding is likely on at least a portion of the project to get the total within the amount allowable.