MetroParks will have to rebid warming house work

The dramatic increase in cost of building materials and transportation seen across the country apparently explains why the Mill Creek MetroParks will have to rebid the project to renovate the former warming house at the Wick Recreation Area.

On Monday night, the MetroParks had to reject all of the bids offered for the project because they all exceeded the engineer’s estimate by at least 10 percent, said Justin Rogers, planning and operations director for the MetroParks.

The cost estimates were generated a couple of months ago, but construction materials and transportation have continued to climb since then, Rogers said. The MetroParks board is required by law to reject bids if they exceed estimates by more than 10 percent, he said.

The MetroParks staff will try to rebid as soon as possible but also discuss what type of adjustments other public bodies have made to overcome this issue, Rogers said.

Ideally, the project still will be complete by the beginning of 2022, he said.

The warming house is located next to the new Dek hockey rink and was used for about the past 20 years as a maintenance facility after the former ice rink was closed around 2002. The building was used by people to warm up while using the ice rink and other winter attractions.

After a $770,000 renovation, the warming house will be used as a public recreation center / banquet and office facility. Rogers said the 4,000-square-foot bulding will contain concessions, a retail space and upgraded restrooms. People will be able to buy apparel for tennis, golf, sand volleyball and Dek hockey.

It also will have new finishes and a brighter look.

“Making it more inviting aesthetically and certainly its functionality is going to bring back the promise it once was when it was the warming house,” Rogers said.

Full article at vindy.com