Bids for high school improvements come in under budget

The Park Rapids School Board on Monday awarded contracts for the high school facility improvements project, based on bids opened on Jan. 24.

School board member Clayton Hoyt made a motion to award contracts for the construction and renovation work according to the recommendation letter presented by Project Manager Justin Maaninga with ICS. The motion passed unanimously.

Maaninga’s letter states that low bidders were contacted and confirmed that their bids were valid. The awarded contracts were divided into 22 work scopes as follows:

• General construction: Haataja Contracting, Inc. of Menahga, $2,376,000.
• Mechanical: Master’s Plumbing & Heating, LLC of Alexandria, $8,445,000.
• Electrical: Ace Electric & Lighting, Detroit Lakes, $3,540,000.
• Earth work: Reierson Construction, Inc. of Bemidji, $2,198,830. 
• Structural placed concrete: TNT Construction Group, LLC of Grand Rapids, $2,029,700.
• Roofing: Thelen Heating & Roofing of Brainerd, $2,698,000.
• Masonry: Johnson-Nelson Masonry, Inc. of Ashby, $1,303,927.
• Steel material: Integrity Steel Supply of Mapleton, N.D., base bid $1,695,258 plus alternate bid $16,353 for mezzanine staircase; total $1,711,611.
• Steel install: Innovative Erectors, Inc. of Alexandria, base bid $616,500 plus alternate bid $10,000 for mezzanine railing and staircase; total $626,500.
• Steel stud and drywall: Fergus Drywall, Inc. of Fergus Falls, $2,436,105.
• Aluminum doors, windows and glazing: United Glass, Inc. of Eveleth, $1,152,990.
• Tile and flooring: Arnquist Carpets Plus of Alexandria, $1,717,097.
• Paint and wall coverings: Fransen Decorating, Inc. of Milaca, base bid $795,800 plus alternate bid $1,500 for mezzanine railing and staircase, total $797,380.
• Metal wall panels: Haataja Contracting, $763,000.
• Acoustic ceilings and treatment: Dow Acoustics, Inc. of Detroit Lakes, $652,940.
• Food service fixed equipment: Plexus Co. d.b.a. Culinex of Fargo, N.D., $587,901.
• Food service loose equipment: Plexus Co., $316,085.
• Fire suppression: Absolute Fire Protection, Inc. of Saginaw, Minn., $442,900.
• Asphalt: Howard’s Driveway Inc. of Menahga, $257,500.
• Casework: Woodside Industries, Inc. of Cavalier, N.D., $201,695.
• Athletic sports flooring: FLR Sanders, Inc. of Princeton, $199,200.
• Wood laboratory equipment: Cosney Corp., Long Lake, Minn., $193,848.

The recommendation letter also noted that a work scope for doors, frames and hardware supply will be rebid at a later date.
These contracts add up to a total of $34,648,209. Meanwhile, the engineering estimate for the project, including a 5% contingency fund, totaled about $37 million.

“We had a lot of bidders,” said Maaninga. “It was successful. It came in where we were hoping.”

Contributed / ICS

The school board also approved construction documents for a new bus garage and maintenance bay and approved putting the project out to bid with an opening date of March 7.

According to Maaninga, construction on the bus garage is slated to begin May 15 and be substantially completed by early February 2024. The estimated cost, including a 5% contingency fund, is about $3.5 million.

Meanwhile, Maaninga reported, bids on the new Century School parking, pickup and drop-off area will be opened on Feb. 21.