(Atlantic) The Atlantic City Council awarded the contract for the Animal Shelter Addition project to Henningsen Construction.
There two bids submitted for the project. Henningsen Construction bid $215,422, and United Construction submitted a bid of $215,422.
Dave Sturm of Snyder and Associates Engineers for the project noted the bids came in much higher than their estimated cost of $151,620.00 a little over one year ago. Even then, the lowest bid was $180,300, and with COVID-19 raging across the country and uncertainty on the economy, the council rejected the bids. “We decided to go back out for bid two months ago expecting a 10-to-15 price increase, and it came in 20-to-30-percent higher than our previous bid,” said Sturm. “During the process of taking bids, we had a couple of contractors ask that we reduce the amount of time to hold bids. Instead of the standard 60 days, suppliers were holding supplies for only 20 days because construction material costs are out of control right now.”
The project is made possible by the Lorene Eppelsheimer Estate’s generosity, gifting the City $135,000 to benefit the animals at the shelter.
The addition includes a new floor and office space. The biggest addition will increase the number of cat cages in a separate area away from the dogs. The new edition also meets the state’s proper food storage and an exam and grooming table, and a more efficient water heater.
