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Waterloo School board awards $1.68M contract for garage renovation [Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa :: ](Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (IA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 27--WATERLOO -- A $1.68 million contract was awarded to Cardinal Construction Monday to renovate facilities for a new Waterloo Community Schools bus garage and information technology offices. The Board of Education approved the Waterloo company's $1.55 million base bid plus three alternates that add $124,300. Alternates add an engine exhaust system to the bus maintenance area, paving west of 13th Street and a fire suppression system in the IT department's server room. The complex will be at 1601 and 1624 Black Hawk Street, with facilities on both sides of the road. The city of Waterloo's street department was formerly located at 1601 Black Hawk while an industrial building and office was across the street. Base bids of the other two contractors who competed for the project were $1.58 million and $1.66 million. But Cardinal's bid was higher than the project's original estimate of $1.2 to $1.4 million, which included the building purchase at 1624 Black Hawk St. The district agreed to buy the facility in March for $505,000. "The cost is definitely a little more than we projected," said Superintendent Jane Lindaman. But she emphasized the expected cost savings of moving the bus garage from the southern edge of the district at the former Orange Elementary School to the new centralized location. "The conservative estimate is that we would save $200,000" per year, she said, mostly by burning less fuel to drive the buses back and forth to Orange every day. Waterloo Schools is still in the process of getting title to 1601 Black Hawk St. from the city, which would include swapping part of the old Orange School property for future development. "We've all read a first draft of that," said Lindaman. "We're just doing a few revisions." Once that is finalized, it will come before the board for approval. Part of the street department building will be preserved and remodeled to allow for offices, restrooms and indoor parking of 30 to 35 buses. Another portion of the building along with the barn-like salt building will be razed. Those areas will be paved for parking of about 60 buses with access to electricity for engine heaters. Across the street, the industrial building will be used for bus maintenance, with about 40 percent of it demolished and the area paved. A connected office building will be remodeled to house the district's IT department, which is currently in cramped quarters at the Education Service Center. A new computer server room will be constructed in a corner of the maintenance area. Work will begin this fall on the project with contractors aiming for completion by Christmas so the district's bus service can move in during the winter break. Another alternate was included in the contract approved Monday, but the $66,500 cost will be paid by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Cardinal will remove and replace part of MET Transit's drive/parking area adjacent to the former street department property along Black Hawk Street. A portion of that space along with paved areas on the district property will be used for employee parking. Officials are also hoping to partner with MET Transit for bus washing, although the agency is still working to secure funding for upgrades to its automated system. In related action, the board approved a $7,500 bid from American Pattern of Cedar Falls to remove nine bridge cranes from the 1624 Black Hawk St. property ranging in size from 15 tons to one ton. ___ (c)2014 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) Visit Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) at www.wcfcourier.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |