Politics & Government

Forks Likely to Advertise Once Again for Public Works Facility

Bids came back much higher than expected.

Plans for the $3.7 million new public works facility for Forks Township may have to be amended if officials want the proposed state-of-the-art facility to ever be constructed. 

Township supervisors will discuss possibly advertising once again for construction of the public works facility at their meeting scheduled for March 3.

The problem: Twelve work proposals received last month for the 23,000-square-foot facility came in much higher than the estimated $3.7 million cost by township architects.

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On Wednesday, supervisors met with the architects, Kimmel Bogrette Architecture of Conshohocken, who proposed changes that would save $1.1 million to $1.3 million off the low bid.

Current plans call for a one-story facility at Richmond and Newlins roads. The firm is suggesting that the proposed curvature of the building now be straightened out. Suggestions have also been made to change the entrance and exits to the facility, reduce some site work and excavation by making the courtyard smaller, lower the height of the building by two feet, reduce tree plantings and eliminate the concrete on the roof deck. 

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“ We looked at the geometry of the building and felt that reducing the footprint would be easier,” said Martin Kimmel, a principal of the firm.

With those changes, the Kimmel firm is hoping to save an additional $1.1 million to $1.3 million off the low bid, for a revised estimated cost of $3.4 million to $4.1 million.

The lowest work proposal received was for $5,294,470. That amount includes general construction, electrical and plumbing work.

“Mechanical, electrical, plumbing came in right on. It was general construction that came in high,” said Kimmel.  “For lack of a better scientific term …it’s disturbing."


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