Lansdale Rejects, Resubmits Bids for Renovations of Borough Properties

A bundled deal doesn't always net the best result.
Take the case of a combined bid package for work and interior renovations to four Lansdale Borough buildings that came in over budget. Lansdale Council last week voted to rejected the bids and split them into smaller pieces to attract more bidders.
Councilman and Administration and Finance Chairman Dan Dunigan said the combined bids were for work that will need to be done to the borough wastewater treatment plant and the electric building on Ninth Street, the Wissahickon Park building at East Main Street and Lakeview Drive, and the District Judge court at 421 W. Main St., to accommodate the move of borough hall and its operations.
Lansdale Borough, which owns 421 W. Main St., will be replacing a boiler at that location.
"(The combined bid) came in considerably over budget. One recommendation is to break it up into smaller pieces to see if we can entice other bidders and lower costs," Dunigan said. "One of the primary objectives is the Wissahickon Park building and the replacement of the boiler at 421 W. Main St."
Dunigan said the Wissahickon Park building will be used for certain borough operations, including the meeting of the Lansdale Parking Authority.
"A few others will be taking advantage of the space," Dunigan said. "It needs TLC and renovations to prepare for that."  
Dunigan said he was a bit surprised that the bid bundle did not net a better price.
"It's a handful of disparate projects; you don't always get what you think you're going to get," he said. 
Dunigan said larger contracts are typically geared toward American Institute of Architects-style contract requirements.
"Some of the smaller contractors don't like the level of paperwork associated with that when you go that route," Dunigan said. "As a result, you may not see a few of them bid on it. Whereby, if you break it up and you can use a different contract form that they may view as a bit easier and friendlier from a paperwork standpoint, you may get a few more participants." 
Dunigan said the rejection and rebid will have no impact on the move of borough hall operations to a temporary modular office complex on Ninth Street near the treatment plant and electric building. 
"We'll probably end up with a handful of contractors doing a few different things at different locations," he said.