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Instead, the Lee County Board of Supervisors will ink a deal with Batesville-based Panola Construction. Its price to build the sprawling, three-story structure was listed at $4,786,847 – more than $27,000 less than the second-lowest bidder.
The project is Phase II of the Renasant Center for IDEAs, located at Main and Elizabeth streets. The new building, which will sit behind the existing building, will house the Community Development Foundation as well as fledgling businesses.
“Panola is proud to be coming to Tupelo and being a partner with the Community Development Foundation,” said Bill Burnett, owner. “We look forward to a successful project.”
Eight companies had competed for the project, including Corinth-based CIG Contractors, which had won the job in an earlier bidding process.
That award was rescinded in late February after Panola, whose earlier bid was rejected on a technicality, found a flaw in the bidding process.
Project coordinators had failed to take into account a public holiday when granting a two-day extension to the bidding deadline.
The extension began on a Friday and ended on the Monday of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Because it was a public holiday, Panola argued, it shouldn’t have counted in the extension.
Rather than fight the contention, supervisors agreed to scrap the bid process and begin anew – even though competitors knew their competitors’ bids.
CIG Contractors’ price the first time was $4,855,500 and the most recent time was $4,814,310.
“It’s just a sad day in my opinion,” said Randall Godwin of CIG. “The money now will go to Panola County that should have gone to Lee County, because I live in Lee County and the material suppliers I use are in Lee County and I use almost all Lee County subcontractors.”
The original cost for the building was estimated at $5.4 million, with $2.7 million coming from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration.
The county and CDF will pay the rest.
“The Lee County Board of Supervisors is pleased to have the Phase II project under way. We look forward to the local opportunities and ideas this new facility will house,” said Darrell Rankin, president of the Board of Supervisors.
Construction of the building should start in about three weeks and is expected to take 16 months. The structure, designed by The McCarty Company, will have 24,300 square feet and be environmentally friendly.
Contact Emily Le Coz at (662) 678-1588 or emily.lecoz@djournal.com.
By the way your link below is for college football Data warehouse not CDF.
I believe you are mistaken again you see CIG was the lowest and responsible bidder the first time this project bid now all the other contractors know what his bid was, then it rebids because of an error by someone else. I for one do not see how this can be competitive bidding when all the other contractors know CIG's original bid price. The sub contractors were listed and they are not from Tupelo. As for materials, when building a facility 23,000 square foot you don't go to LOWS or Home Depot and pick up 4 trailer truck loads of sheet rock or what ever materials, they are hauled in and yes the can be bought in Bates ville, Ms with a destination of Tupelo, Ms therefore again Panola County will reap the benefits that Lee county should have received. Also I am in the business as well so you see I do not have to speculate. What does the fact that federal money being used have to do with anything?
The federal money as you say, are you speaking of the ARRA stimulus money? that should have been used to stimulate Tupelo's economy and not Batesville's economy?
Mr Godwin's company is in Alcorn county because his grandfather started the business their. Mr. Godwin is a member of NFIB, ABC,& CDF in Corinth Ms., so what does that say about a person? also I do not see where he said he was looking out for Tupelo Ms. I agree with Mr. Godwin that it is not right when recovery and reinvestment money that was meant to help Lee County is now going to help Panola county. Panola construction will use subcontracting firms For Electrical, Mechanical, Masonry, Ect. from Panola County and buy their materials their as well therefore the stimulus money that should help Lee county is creating jobs and wealth for Panola county. Also you shouldn't speak of things you obviously know nothing about, CIG was low if alternate 1,2,or 3 would have been accepted.