Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel Documents Library Project Process

My thanks to the Sentinel staff for the great article on p. 2 of the July 22 edition, which documents the expansion of the capital campaign, and talks about the bidding and the contract process now in progress. (Read other posts about the bid process here and here.)

By the way, the Sentinel has promised $1 to the new library project for every new subscription from now until the ribbon-cutting ceremony in July 2011. To subscribe, call 585.624.5470 or send an e-mail to sentinel@frontiernet.net.

Talking about the ‘Alternates’

This week the library board of trustees, library director and library steering committee chair are working diligently on considering the “alternates” for phase one of the new library, a new building of approximately 8,000 sq. ft. An alternate is a description of work for which the bidder calculates a separate cost to help the owner make a decision. This description of work can either be an additional item (add alternate) or a deletion of some item (deduct alternate).

The bid documents included these alternates:

• Add (4) skylights above the book stack area.
• Add stone faced exterior landscape wall facing Main Street with signage. (The hip high wall in front of the building in this rendering.)
• Add built-in cabinets, computer desk and book return desk.
• Add cost to change (8) fixed windows to make operable.
• Deduct double-sided fireplace and related interior stone veneer in main reading room and senior reading room.
• Deduct (2) study rooms 8’ x 12’ size.

The trustees’ recommendation on which alternates to adopt will be presented to the town board during its regular meeting on Monday, July 12, at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall.

Bids Opened and Read

General contractor. Plumbing. Heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). Electrical.

Bids for each of these four “primes” for the new Mendon Public Library building were opened and publicly read by project architect HBT this afternoon at the Mendon Community Center.

Preliminary analysis of the bids suggests that phase 1 of the new library can be built within the $2.7 million “not to exceed” budget approved by the Town Board.

HBT is slated to give a report on the bids to the town board at its regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday. July 12 at the Mendon Town Hall.

My thanks to all who attended the meeting and especially to Mark Rowe, president of the board of trustees, who provided me with a summary of what happened.

Bid Documents now Available

Just double-checked with Mendon Town Hall and the bid packets for phase 1 of the Mendon Public Library are now available.

Having the bid “out” is an exciting and important next step!

Now, companies interested in building the new library can send in a bid for the job. In fact, separate bids will be accepted for general construction, HVAC (that’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), plumbing and electrical work.

The bid deadline is 2 p.m. “prevailing time” on Wednesday, June 30. The bids will be opened and read aloud at 2:30 p.m. on the same day at the Mendon Community Center, 167 N. Main, Honeoye  Falls.

After that, our Town of Mendon officials have 90 days to sign contracts; however, having a contract in place sooner–by early July–would facilitate completion of phase 1 (7,300 square foot new building) by the July 1, 2011, target outlined by the New York state grant.

The legal notice published in the June 3 Sentinel provides many more details on how to obtain or view bid documents and drawings, and contract documents.

Many thanks to everyone involved in getting all the documents ready!

Bid Advertisement to Appear June 3

Watch this Thursday’s issue of The Sentinel for an important piece of library history. You should see an advertisement for bids for the new library building! This marks the official opening of the bid process.

My understanding is that bids received according to the town’s bid process, and by the bid deadline, will be opened and publicly read at 2:30 p.m. on June 30, at the Mendon Community Center.