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Local firm will build Ashland Library By JOHN DARLING ASHLAND - Bids for construction of this city's supersized library once again went over budget. But this time, the city can find the money to make the lowest bid work. Local builder Adroit Construction bid $4.209 million for the city's library expansion, now slated to begin next month. The project's budget is $4.032 million, $177,000 below Adriot's bid. City officials opened and reviewed the sealed bids Thursday. Other bids were from Todd Construction of Tualatin at $5.008 million, and Skyward Construction of Vancouver, Wash., at $4.98 million. On an earlier round of bidding last November, Adroit had the second-lowest bid. The lowest bid last year, by 2G Construction of Eugene, was $732,500 over budget. They did not bid this time. The job calls for construction of a three-story, 13,000-square-foot addition on the south side of the historic Carnegie library, followed by renovation of the old building. The new structure will triple the present 7,000-square-foot library and will include more hookups for computers, an area designed for children, better disabled access and rooms for meetings and conferences. SERA Architects in Portland must review the bids before the city awards the job early next week, said Ashland City Manager Greg Scoles, then parties will take several weeks settling contracts and insurance before building starts. "We're real excited," said Adroit Vice President Bob Mayers. "It's a very high-profile job for us, but more importantly it means we keep the jobs and money here for local people." Adroit has operated in Ashland for 21 years. Its jobs include the Ashland High School theater, the Ashland Middle School "supergym" and the newly opened PC Market of Choice in Ashland. "We're pretty happy with the bid," said Ashland Mayor Alan DeBoer. "They'll run a good operation, they're easy to work with and they're here." "We're very relieved," said Barbara Ryberg, president of Ashland Friends of the Library. "Everyone is familiar with their work and we're glad it's going forward." Adroit and city officials expressed little concern that the bid is over budget. Money can be redirected from other parts of the job or taken from the project's contingency fund of $400,000, said Scoles. Adroit also came in with the lowest figures on minor alternates to the project, such as adding operable windows, masonry sealer and in-floor wiring ducts. The job is allowed 18 months, but Mayers said Adroit could complete it in 14 at no extra charge. The other two bidders estimated significant charges to speed up the job. Library service will not be interrupted during the job. After the first bidding process failed, architects scaled back the project. A geothermal loop heat pump system that required drilling holes a couple hundred feet deep was eliminated in favor of a ground-level fluid cooler that will be less efficient. Standard metal replaced zinc roofing. Roof details removed from the original Carnegie building in the 1950s won't be restored. Custom doors have been eliminated. Ashland voters approved the project in a November 1999 vote, which was then superseded last year by voter approval of $38.9 million library upgrades throughout the county. It passed by 59.1 percent of the vote. The project ran into controversy when, after the vote, some residents worried about cutting nearby trees and losing the historic look of the 90-year-old Carnegie library, in addition to a lack of parking in the area. A move to leave the Carnegie complex as is and put the library elsewhere fizzled. Restoration of the old building will include new "historic" plaster that will look like the old. And the building will be sealed against water damage from seeping ground water. John Darling is a free-lance writer living in Ashland. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.