Moscow council approves city shop project
Price of $7.2 million project did disappoint members of the council
MOSCOW — The Moscow City Council approved going forward with a $7.2 million upgrade to the city shop during its Monday meeting.
The council voted 5-1 to accept the lowest bid of $7.2 million from Oregon-based Wellens General Contractors. The city received seven bids ranging from $7.2 million to $11.2 million.
The city shop on Van Buren Street was built in 1968 and is where Moscow stores and maintains its fleet of vehicles and other equipment.
According to city staff, It is too small to accommodate Moscow’s employees and the number of vehicles in Moscow’s fleet. It has inadequate locker rooms, break rooms and restrooms. Moscow Deputy City Supervisor Cody Riddle said some of the workspaces are unsafe and it is also vulnerable to flooding during heavy rain events.
“It’s probably one of the most pressing needs that we face today,” Riddle said.
The construction project, which begins this coming spring, will include building a new 18,800-square-foot city shop building. Additionally, there will be some renovation work done on the existing structures that are meant to extend their lives by 20 to 30 years, including repairs to the roof and siding to prevent leaking. Construction is set to finish by the end of 2025.
Nearly half of the cost will be paid for by American Rescue Plan Act dollars that need to be allocated by the end of this year.
Several city councilors expressed their disappointment that the lowest bid came in over a million dollars higher than the engineer’s estimate of $6.1 million.
This was the reason Councilor Julia Parker voted no on the project and suggested the scope of it be reduced.
“I don’t think this is affordable,” she said.
Councilor Drew Davis shared these concerns. Davis said he wants more accountability from design professionals who make these cost estimates, because being a million dollars off “hits me in the gut hard.”
Davis still voted in favor of the project because of its importance to city operations.
In response to a concern about the potential for coming tariffs raising the price of materials, City Supervisor Bill Belknap clarified that this is a binding bid from Wellens General Contractors, so they are obligated to deliver the project for this price.
Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.
