As reported last week in the Bulletin, Kimberley Council wanted to take a closer look at the bids for the work on the North Wall. Because there was a $112,000 discrepancy between the recommended bid and others, more detail was needed, Mayor Don McCormick said.
Council has since looked at the bids at an in camera Committee of the Whole meeting and have decided to go with Tyee Log Homes of Kimberley as recommended. The total cost of the contract is $576,000.
As explained by a City press release, the successful bidder was chosen through the design-build procurement method, which asks contractors to propose innovative solutions to a particular problem.
The contractors’ submissions were then scored by a committee based on local preference, qualifications and experience, functional design, aesthetic design and price. This is a different procurement method than the City paying an architect for the completed design, putting out a tender, and then asking the contractors to bid on the design.
“In this case, we say ‘we have this problem, how would you help us build it?” McCormick said. “The first report that came to Council was short on detail on why the recommended bid was chosen above the others.
“The cost difference was substantial and there wasn’t enough detail on what the incremental value was. So staff rejigged the report.”
McCormick says it was never the intention of Council to seek the “premium” solution, but the Tyee bid fits the aesthetics of the Civic Centre and in the end was the “pragmatic” solution.
“Tyee is an awesome Kimberley company doing amazing work,” he said. “You only have to look at the wooden bridges to see the quality of the work they do.”
““A building with the historical significance of the Civic Arena demands emphasis be placed on the best idea for constructing the wall, not necessarily the lowest cost as in most competitive processes,” said Chief Administrative Officer Scott Sommerville. “We are looking forward to building the walkway to complete a walking track, where residents can exercise and socialize during the winter months when icy conditions make outdoor walking a risky option.”
The City has received a grant for $350,000 from Columbia Basin Trust, and a further $50,000 from the Federal Enabling Accessibility Fund. The remaining funding for the project will be from the Kimberley Infrastructure Reserve.
The North Wall of the Civic Arena was built as a temporary measure in 1959. The log columns that support the wall are deteriorating, and an engineering study from 2010 showed that the wall is at risk from lateral wind loads. Engineering studies have also confirmed that the rest of the arena’s structure is sound, and that investment in the arena makes sense in the long run.