As City Council is aware, this project includes the combination and improvements to the existing City owned parking lot and the County owned parking lot to the west, south of Nebraska Ave. and east of Lafayette St. The combination of both parking lots will result in the construction of a single parking lot to improve efficiencies and to increase the amount of available parking spaces. ADA upgrades, asphalt improvements, landscape, hardscape, stormwater retention, and lighting improvements have been included in the project as well.
Once the design phase was completed, this project was advertised for competitive bidding. Three (3) sealed bids were opened by the City Clerk on January 22, 2021 and presented to City Council for approval and award on March 2, 2021. The project bids received were $721,942.50, $846,407.50, and $869,069.00. Upon review and cost analyzation of the Gloria Swanson parking lot improvements project, staff considered the low bid in line with current construction cost and recommended approval of the bid amount and the award of the contract to Right of Way Contracting, LLC.
Subsequent to City Council’s approval, discussion commenced between the City and the Contractor about reduction in the project time frame from 180 days to 120 days. As City Council is aware, pandemic restrictions are expected to be relaxed as vaccinations of the public increases. As a result, an increase of patrons is expected to visit Downtown establishments such as the Social, Kazu’s Sushi, Bourbon on Main, the Suncoast Theatre, and Sip’s; all of which utilize the Nebraska Ave. parking lot. In addition, the delay opening of the Hacienda Hotel warrants the need for the project’s completion acceleration.
Under the terms of the contract agreement and with the contractor, the City can write a change order/work change directive for the reduction in time by compensating the contractor. This is a common practice and is utilized by FDOT on capital infrastructure projects. This process is called “The No Excuse Bonus”. Should City Council approve the change order/work change directive of $90,000 it will be based on a 12.5% increase to the original bid submitted of $721,942.50 and the final project cost would result in the total project amount of $811,942.50; $30,000 less than the next lowest bid submitted with the 180 project time frame.
Detailed items included in the proposed change order/change directive include:
1. Change Order/change directive amount $90,000.00. (Contractor must obtain the substantial completion within 120 days to receive this sum).
2. Contract time changed from 180 days to 120 days for substantial completion approval subsequent to the notice to proceed.
3. Substantial completion is defined as full parking access, painted striping, irrigation, landscaping included.
4. $1,000 liquidated damages past the 120 days.
5. No liquidated damages once the project has been defined as substantially complete.
6. Time extensions will be granted for delays beyond the control of the contractor such as a hurricane.
7. Sub-base quantities will be funded in accordance with the existing contract language thru the request for information process.
8. The contractor may utilize eight inch (8”) crushed concrete in lieu of existing material reclamation as stabilization at the unit price for the crushed concrete base at ($14.00/SY).
9. The fire line installation will be eliminated from the contract and installed by the City maintenance staff.
10. Thermo-plastic striping material shall be replaced with striping paint.