School Officials Reject Bids For Gauntlett Center Renovations Project

NEWTOWN SQUARE– school officials unanimously passed a motion at a school board meeting April 26 to reject all the bids proposed for the renovations project due to their high estimates.

Approximately 50 bids with five prime contracts were submitted, in which all were beyond the district's estimates for the renovations project, according to Mike Dumin, Marple Newtown School District director of operations.

Dumin said the district's estimated renovations costs to the community center–demolishing part of the building and upgrading the administrative offices, among the few changes to occur–was projected at $5,951,000 with additional soft costs (engineering, architect, etc., fees) of $1,700,000 for a total $7,651,000 for the entire project.

"The school board must accept the lowest, responsible bidder," explained Dumin. "They have no choice."

The lowest bid, however, came in at approximately $1 million over the district's projected costs to $6,901,000 with additional soft costs of $1,700,000, which totaled to $8,601,000 for the entire scope of the project.

School Board Vice President Richard Sokorai read the motion to reject all bids "due to their exceedingly construction estimates" and to "direct the administration to re-bid the project."

According to Dumin, the board will have three weeks to advertise again  before opening it up to bids.

"We're going out to bid," said Dumin. "Possibly change the scope of the work and go back out to bid."

The board will then have to review all the bids that come in once more and decide whether or not re-bid again, if the bids still come over the estimated renovations total, or to reevaluate the scope of the project.