Calabasas : Council Rejects 6 Bids for Park

Saying the cost is too high, the Calabasas City Council has rejected six bids ranging from $700,000 to more than $1 million for construction of a 3,000-square-foot recreation center at Juan Bautista de Anza Park.

Meanwhile, to cut construction costs, the architect, Daniel Lawrence, has revised the plans to omit unnecessary items, such as a skylight in a breezeway. The council will vote Thursday on the revisions.

The building would be the centerpiece of the planned eight-acre park on Las Virgenes Road, which city officials say will be completed next summer.

The council will also vote Thursday on whether to allow city staff members to put the center back out to bid. Community Services Director Greg Johnson said he believes bids of $400,000 to $600,000 would be more in line with what the city can afford.

The city will cast a wider net this time to bring in more bids, Johnson said. While the original bid notice was sent out through traditional channels, such as building trade publications, the city will do more networking on its own, he said.

Meanwhile, the rest of the project is proceeding smoothly, city officials said. Groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for Monday on the landscaping and site preparation portions of the park. Valley Crest Landscape Inc. of San Fernando has contracted with the city for $1 million for the task.