A low bid to remodel a former Alabama Power building in downtown Jasper to become the Walker County Justice Center was rejected Monday by the Walker County Commission.
CH Harris Inc., of Cullman, was the lowest bidder at nearly $1 million. County Engineer Mike Short said after all the alternates were deducted, the bid would come to $655,000.
The alternate deductions included HVAC units, not needed because the current units do not need replaced.
Short said the bid was more than double what was expected.
“I think there were items added at the latter stages of design that were not necessarily requested by the county and by the architect,” he said.
Short suggested commissioners should reject all bids and rebid the project.
“It was never the intent to have any HVAC components whatsoever in the bid. It was never the intent to replace all the ductwork. It was only the intent to add the runs from the existing ductwork to each room to cool or heat that room,” Commission Chairman Steve Miller said.
District 1 Commissioner Keith Davis said he was not confident the bids would come in much lower based on his numbers. He said the project needs to move at a faster but responsible pace.
“I normally look at that to tell if the first bidder is kind of in the ballgame. I think they’re in the ballgame,” he said.
Short said he expects the new bids back by October.
District 4 Commission Steven Aderholt suggested the commission be more strict on what is in the bid.
“We’re looking for something specific. The door is not wide open to the vault,” he said.
District 3 Commissioner Jim Borden agreed.
“We were looking at a Cadillac but we might have to settle for a Chevrolet.”
Commissioners voted unanimously to reject all bids and send out for bids again.
