Bids Come in High for Pier Make-Over

The city is expected to reject all five bids made for the $5-million-plus Pier Plaza project, postponing the start of construction until January, officials said Friday.

The city had hoped to begin the pier-area make-over this month and finish the project in July. Completion of the nine-month project is now projected for October 1997.

“The bids came in over our cost estimate,” said Community Services Director Ron Hagen, who will ask council members Monday to reopen the bidding process. “We learned a lot in the first round of bidding.”

Project specifications have been tightened in a number of areas to reduce costs, he said. Under the previous specifications, for example, asphalt from the old parking lot was to be hauled away. New project guidelines call for grinding up the asphalt on site for use in new parking lot construction, saving the city about $300,000.

That amount equals the projected loss of summer parking revenue because of construction activity.

The cost of the project has risen from $5 million to new estimates of $5.2 million to $5.5 million. To keep the project under budget, Hagen said, the city is looking for a base bid of about $4.4 million. The current bids range from $4.3 million to $5.6 million.

The Pier Plaza project has been 10 years in the making. It began as an all-commercial development, designed to resemble a seaport village. The plan was rejected by the public. A Mediterranean plaza design was also rejected.

The current plan would transform a three-quarter mile area around the pier into a community center with a grassy area, amphitheater, reconfigured parking areas and improved beach access.

“It’s going to be a gathering place for the community,” said Councilwoman Shirley S. Dettloff, who helped guide the project over the years as a Planning Commission member. “What we do at Pier Plaza is important to the success of the downtown area.”