Junior lifeguards HQ project delayed after construction bids come in too high

A September construction start date might still be possible for Newport Beach’s junior lifeguards headquarters, but that will depend on new bids being solicited from contractors.

On Tuesday, the City Council unanimously dismissed seven bids for the project — the lowest of which came in at $6.5 million. The highest came in at $8.8 million. Engineers on the project initially pinned the cost for the project to be around $4.8 million.

While no significant discussion on the item occurred, as the matter was included on the council’s consent calendar, a city staff report said the high bids may be a result of supply chain issues.

Those issues have been well-documented across all sectors since the onset of the pandemic. Scarcity of materials is in addition to other impacts that come as a result of recent inflation, which affects not only the cost of materials but of labor and fuel.

Still, city staff wager that these elevated costs are only temporary and suggested that the project go out to bid again.

City spokesman John Pope said the city does not plan to decrease the scale or scope of the project and that it will go out to bid again later this month.

The project is in part funded by the city of Newport Beach, but its cost is shared with the Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard Foundation. The nonprofit completed its fundraising efforts for $1.7 million last year.

The City Council put forward about $2.05 million with the rest to be covered by an increase in fees for the program.

Conceptual plans for the building, which will replace the program’s existing 2,160-square-foot trailer, were approved by the City Council in March of last year.

The state Coastal Commission also gave tentative approval for a coastal development permit in this year. The facility will be located in the A Street parking lot south of Balboa Pier and is expected to include a meeting room, secure exterior and interior storage spaces, locker rooms, a deck area and a public restroom.

The program typically runs from late June to early August and is considered to be something of a rite of passage. This year, about 1,485 kids participated, which is slightly above average.

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