The start of
vertical construction of the Ocean Center expansion project will be
delayed by at least four months because original bids received by
the project’s builder are several million dollars over budget.
“We’re doing
everything possible to keep this project on track,” said County
Chair Frank Bruno. “But we’re dealing with a construction market
where costs are escalating so rapidly that it’s hard to budget for
anything you’re planning to build.”
County
officials faced the news in March that bid responses from
subcontractors submitting proposals for the expansion project’s
components were several million dollars over budget and there were
no bid responses for major elements of the project’s construction.
Site work for
the expansion of the Ocean Center is well under way and vertical
construction was scheduled to start early this summer. The county
has $63 million budgeted for the project. “The contractor has
rejected all bids,” said Assistant County Manager Matt Greeson.
“There’s no doubt we are delaying the start of vertical
construction.”
The prime
contractor, Hardin Construction Co., Atlanta/Peck and Associates,
Daytona Beach, has re-bid the construction packages in an effort to
encourage a greater number of bidders from a wider area. Hardin is
using the bids as the basis for a guaranteed maximum price which is
to be submitted to the county.
Phase I work
-- a new south parking lot adjacent to Peabody Auditorium -- was
completed last year. Phase II – site and civil engineering work –
began almost immediately after that. Construction fences went up and
grading began, followed by preparation of deep foundations and the
setting of pilings.
Completion of
the expansion is slated for 2008 and will yield a complex roughly
twice the size of the present facility. Square footage will
increased to more than 500,000 including 164,000 square feet of
exhibit space, up from the present 60,000 square feet total. In
fact, when the expansion is complete, the Ocean Center will rank as
the fifth largest complex in Florida, up from its current rank of
17th.
The Ocean
Center expansion is seen as a key element of the county’s future
tourism and the rejuvenation of the core beachside of Daytona Beach.
The project’s $63 million price tag is being financed with resort
taxes.
