MINNEAPOLIS -- The city of Minneapolis is reworking plans for the Nicollet Mall redesign after the lone construction bid for the project was $24 million higher than expected.
Out of the $50 million budgeted for the project, the city set aside $35 million for construction work.
Morcon Construction in Golden Valley, who submitted the only bid, had a price tag of $59 million. The city rejected the bid. Morcon Construction declined to comment.
"It was disappointing. It was only a single bid and it was considerably over what we had budgeted," said Steve Kotke, director of public works for the city of Minneapolis.
According to Kotke, the city had two independent cost estimators look at the project during the planning stages.
"We felt comfortable going in that we had the right numbers. The challenge wasn't as much that. I think the challenge was that the general contractors who bid on it just didn't feel they could do that type of work," Kotke said.
Specifically, contractors had concerns about plans for the ground. The city hoped to use concrete pavers--a kind of tile--for the streets and sidewalks. Kotke said they are now looking at other options, like poured concrete.
"They just felt that the quantity of the pavers that we had on the project was something beyond their means," he said.
Kotke said they are also considering splitting up the bid into more specific, smaller projects. However, the redesign will stay mostly the same. Kotke said they will also stick to the $50 million budget.
"We think we've got a strategy that will get better pricing back and we'll be able to preserve much of what people were so excited about in the Nicollet Mall design," said Steve Cramer, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council.
Councilman Jacob Frey for Ward 3 added, "I think we've got a great strategy. The reality is that the public is seeing the sausage get made and at times the making is kind of disgusting but we're going to have a project in the end that tastes great."
The city hopes to finalizes its changes by the beginning of February, then get public input. Kotke said they hope to start accepting new bids in March.
Governor Mark Dayton said he plans to talk with city leaders about the project. "It's very important that it be completed in time for the Super Bowl," Gov. Dayton said.
According to Kotke, they only estimate the project to be about a month to a month and a half behind schedule with an opening in late fall 2017.