Taylor Woodrow Submits Lowest Bid for Fullerton’s Stadium : Titans: Construction company based in Irvine offers to build the on-campus sports complex for $7,997,000.

Construction bids were opened Tuesday for the Titan Sports Complex, Cal State Fullerton’s on-campus stadium that has had numerous problems and delays since it first was proposed more than a decade ago.

The Taylor Woodrow Construction California Ltd. of Irvine was the lowest of three bidders, offering to build the complex for $7,997,000. Berry Construction, Inc. of Upland offered a base bid of $8,129,110. Mallcraft of Pasadena offered $9,790,000.

According to Sal Rinella, Cal State Fullerton vice president for administration, the low bid must be approved by the Fullerton City Council and the Auxiliary and Business Services branch of the Cal State University Chancellor’s office.

A ceremonial ground-breaking has been scheduled at 10 a.m. July 19, but actual construction won’t begin until September or October, Rinella said. The complex is expected to be completed by the spring of 1992--in time for the Titans’ Oct. 2, 1992 home football opener against Mississippi State.

“We’re absolutely delighted Phase I has come to a successful completion,” said Walt Bowman, the Titan Athletic Foundation Director who is involved in fund-raising efforts for the project. “By the time students return for classes this fall, they may see some dust clouds in the sky. That will be a banner day for both coaches and students.”

Although the complex is expected to be in use by 1992, it could be several years before it is fully completed and furnished.

When an architect’s estimate for the entire project rose to $12.6 million in March, the Titan Sports Complex Building Committee pared plans to reduce costs by almost $3 million, eliminating such items as the baseball pavilion, which was to have included a press box, concession stands and restrooms, and furnished locker rooms, training rooms and offices in the stadium support building.

The committee has opted for a bare-bones-type of project that will consist of a 10,000-seat, multi-purpose stadium to be used for football and soccer and to include a press box, a 1,500-seat baseball stadium, two softball fields, a tartan running track, 12 tennis courts and the shell for the stadium support building.

The multi-purpose stadium can be expanded to hold 30,000.

Construction bids included prices for 14 items that the building committee hopes to add to the project as funds become available. Taylor Woodrow priced the add alternates at $3.23 million, Berry priced them at about $2.85 million, and Mallcraft priced them at $2.55 million.

Rinella said the building committee was prepared to analyze construction bids with both the base price and add alternates in mind. “But we’re only going with the base project at this point,” he said.

Therefore, it is likely that Taylor Woodrow, which offered the lowest base bid, will be awarded the contract, Rinella said.

Taylor Woodrow is the prime contractor for the new John Wayne Airport terminal and has been involved in a legal battle with the county, which fired Taylor Woodrow from a separate $25 million contract to build a parking garage and elevated roadway at the new airport.

The Titan project is being funded by The City of Fullerton and the university, with the city paying for 54% (about $4.32 million) and the school paying for 46% (about $3.68 million), Rinella said.

The city, however, is loaning the school its 46% share, which will be repaid over a period of about 20 years with revenue generated from the Marriott hotel on the Cal State Fullerton campus.

The city also has retained an Orange County fund-raising expert to determine whether it is possible to raise about $6 million for the sports complex. The Robert B. Sharp Co. of Santa Ana is currently conducting a feasibility study, which Bowman said should be completed this fall.

Sharp’s primary goal is to secure a multimillion-dollar donor for whom the sports complex could be named after.

“We’re looking at how people in Orange County feel about what we’re doing,” Bowman said. “This will give us a handle on the type of financial support we can expect from people in the area.”

THE TITAN PROJECT

Features of the Titan Sports Complex

BASE PROJECT TO INCLUDE:

* 10,000-seat football/soccer stadium with press box

* 1,500-seat baseball stadium

* Tartan track

* Two softball fields

* 12 tennis courts

* Shell for stadium support building

ADD ALTERNATES:

(In order of priority)

* Cambridge drainage system for flat field for football/soccer stadium

* Baseball pavilion, including press box, concession stands and restrooms

* Finish shell for stadium support building

* East side concession stands and restrooms for soccer/football stadium

* Softball field improvements, including drinking fountain, increased power and concessions

* East side football/soccer stadium seat benches

* Cable for additional power

* Concrete walkways in lieu of asphalt walkways

* Operable windows for two stadium press boxes

* Landscaping and irrigation around walkways

* Grounds maintenance and storage bins

* Revised access road to southeast corner of the stadium

* Revised entrance stairs to football press box and provide crib walls in place of retaining walls