'Incredible' Amount of Interest in Municipal Complex Project

After experiencing an unusually high level of interest from contractors, the township has pushed back the due date for bids for the municipal complex project.

Architect Rick Ragan told township council Monday that 28 contractors and subcontractors had purchased the project plans.

“It’s an incredible amount,” he said, and, as a result, he anticipated there would be a plethora of questions.

“The contracting community tends to look at project plans three weeks before (the due date), and inundate you with questions one week before,” he said, only half-joking.

The multitude of questions resulted in a series of minor tweaks to the project—including revisions to the site plan, since the existing library is not being demolished, and requests for alternatives to rapid impact compaction at the site of the new complex—but nothing significant.

“In light of the number of people bidding, the number of questions is not necessarily exhaustive,” Ragan said.

As a result of the number of bidders and the subsequent alterations, the due date was pushed back from last Wednesday to this Wednesday (Oct. 24).

However, the adjusted timeline will not affect council’s ability to award a contract at its Oct. 29 meeting, according to township manager Scott Carew, nor will it affect the commencement of construction.