Bastrop, Tx–Officials from some 40 construction firms packed city hall in Bastrop earlier this month, lining up out into Main Street to attend a pre-bid conference for those hoping to win contracts to erect a new city hall and convention center on Chestnut Street.
The turnout shows there is keen interest in the twin multi-million dollar projects and gives hope that the bidding competition will be sharp when proposals are submitted next month, said Bastrop City Manager Mike Talbot during a Dec. 23 interview. Site preparation work will be bid separately, and the office of site engineer Gene Kruppa in La Grange has also been flooded with inquiries from potential contractors, said Talbot.
City officials hope the show of interest during a period of economic downturn in Central Texas will translate into lower total project costs. Constructors are being invited to make offers for either the 15,000-square-foot city hall or the 25,000-square-foot convention center–or both in a single package.
Talbot said construction should begin early in 2010 and he expects both facilities to be open by the year’s end.