Moscow to vote on $7.2M bid for new city shop

MOSCOW — The Moscow City Council next week will vote on a $7.2 million bid to construct a new 18,800-square-foot city shop building.

The city received seven bids ranging from $7.2 million to $11.2 million, Moscow Deputy City Supervisor Cody Riddle said during Monday’s Administrative Committee meeting.

Wellens General Contractors from Oregon was the lowest bidder and will go forward with the project if it is approved by the city council. It is the same contractor that worked on the new Moscow police station.

The city shop on Van Buren Street is where Moscow stores and maintains its fleet of vehicles and other equipment. City Supervisor Bill Belknap told the Daily News the existing shop was built in 1968.

It is currently too small to accommodate Moscow’s staff and the number of vehicles in Moscow’s fleet, he said. It also has inadequate locker rooms, break rooms and restrooms. In addition to building the new shop, there will be some renovation work done on the existing building, including repairs to the roof and siding to prevent leaking.

The main entrance to the shop will be shifted to the Polk Street side, Belknap said.

Belknap said nearly half of the cost will be paid for by American Rescue Plan Act Funds. Belknap said during the Administrative Committee meeting this project should extend the life of the shop another 30 years.

Construction is set to start in the spring and finish by the end of 2025.

The engineer’s estimate to build the new shop came in at $6.1 million. Belknap said it is frustrating that the bids were all significantly higher than the estimate, but Moscow tends to see higher costs when it comes to commercial-scale buildings.

The Moscow City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.