Bids for Town Hall Project Come in Below Estimates

Township officials opened 21 bids for the municipal complex project Wednesday, ranging in price from $10.7 million up to $15.3 million. 

Though the bids have to be properly vetted by township officials and professionals working on the project, Mayor John Button said preliminarily he's "very pleased" with the prices the township received.

"Particularly the number of bids that came in below our base budget," he said.

The township had pegged the project cost at $12.7 million. Of the 21 bids submitted, 16 came in below that estimate.

Council will almost certainly discuss the bids at their meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday (in the IT room at Moorestown High School). However, Button could not say whether council would pick a contractor that night.

Township manager Scott Carew said the professionals—Ragan Design Group and Greyhawk—will have to cull through the bids and verify each one.

The township is required by law to select the "lowest responsible bidder," said financial officer Tom Merchel.

A bid of $7.4 million was submitted by Vineland-based Ogren Construction, but was withdrawn by the contractor. The next lowest bid was for $10.7 million from Sambe Construction in Pennsauken.

The high bid was for $15.3 million from D & K Construction in Middlesex. 

Rick Ragan, principal of Ragan Design Group, said the township should still have shovels in the ground before the end of the year. 

"Like" Moorestown Patch on Facebook to stay current on all the latest news and events.