By MELINDA J. OVERSTREET
for Glasgow News 1
More than five years since it was first announced that Barren County had been approved to get a new judicial center, an advertisement for sealed bids for actual construction of a justice center for Barren County has been posted.
At Wednesday’s regular meeting of the local project development board overseeing the planning for the facility, architect Brian Estep, on behalf of the design team, reported that, “after a fair amount of collaboration back and forth between us – the team – and Alliance, we have released construction documents to them to use for bid packages, which I’m sure Tommy can speak to here in just a minute, so that was good that we got to that point. I’m excited to keep moving forward.”
Tommy Gumm, CEO of Alliance Corp., which is the construction management firm for the project, announced moments later, “We are bidding the project right now.”
He added that a prebid meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. July 16 and the bid deadline and subsequent opening of the bids is at 2 p.m. July 31. Both events are to take place on the lower floor of Alliance’s headquarters building in Glasgow.
“They just became live yesterday. I looked a little while ago; we already had like 15 planholders,” he said, referring to companies seeking copies of the detailed bid package and adding that a lot of people had been waiting for this to come out. “So I know they’re looking for the opportunity to bid, and we hope that continues.”
He said three mechanical companies, all local, have already picked up copies of the drawings.
Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd, who chairs the group and was attending virtually via Zoom, as was board member Joan Norris, asked him to send her an email with those dates and times, which he agreed to do, and he mentioned he had an abbreviated version of the bid advertisement as she had requested. Byrd said she would get that information to the local contractors’ association and it would go on the county’s social media accounts and be provided to members of the media.
Attending in person were District Judge Gabe Pendleton and Circuit Court Clerk Julie Jolly. Circuit Judge John T. Alexander, who had a trial in progress, and Rich Alexander were absent.
Glasgow News 1 was the only news media present either in person or virtually.
Mark Bannister, officer of the Department of Court Facilities within the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts, said potential contractors may also obtain the bid package via Lynn Imaging’s website, and anyone who signs up there gets updates and can also see who the other planholders are.
The primary action from the meeting other than minutes approval and such was that the board members present unanimously approved Disbursement No. 22 for $76,479.27, with no discussion.
Under the category of other business, Gumm told the board that at a project meeting earlier in the day, additional unsuitable soils besides what have already been discussed had been discovered during the preconstruction/site preparation work and to be removed and replaced, so they can expect another change order. He said they may take it through the executive committee just to keep things moving.
“We want to get this portion closed out as soon as possible,” he said, “so it doesn’t interfere in our financing.”
Gumm said it was looking good, though, and a couple of the other AOC officials had been provided with the information and they would be taking a look at it as well before it gets processed.
The next regular meeting is at noon July 9, primarily via Zoom, but it may also be attended in person in Alexander’s circuit courtroom on Floor 2 of the Barren County Courthouse.
“Anybody else?” Byrd asked.
“Nope. It looks pretty good when you drive by it, just ready to put something on it,” Pendleton said of the site along the 300 block of West Main Street in Glasgow.
Byrd agreed, and the meeting was adjourned.
No contracts will be awarded that day, as all bids will be carefully reviewed after the opening.
Once the cost is determined, bonds must be sold to fund the project begins, and that process can take up to roughly 60 days, so construction wouldn’t be expected to begin right away after any contract is awarded.
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