“It’s possible we could find some money to do the project,” Mayor Rusty Jessup said after bids for the construction of the boardwalk were opened Monday morning at the town’s storm shelter. “We have been good about pulling some rabbits out of the hat, but we’re running out of rabbits.”
Jessup said the town only has about $50,000 for the project, but bids for construction of the boardwalk exceeded the $100,000 mark.
He said the town received a matching grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, giving the city about $100,000 to put toward the improvement of the new town marina on Depot Street.
“We’ve spent some of that money already,” Jessup said. “We were hoping bids would come in at about $50,000-$60,000.”
Two bids were submitted for the project, which included a two-section wooden boardwalk totaling 450 linear feet. The boardwalk is 8-feet wide and is handicapped accessible.
Hurst Construction of Lineville was the low bidder for the project at $128,466. Cosper Construction Inc. submitted a bid in the amount of $143,450.
“That’s relatively close,” said Bart Taft, an engineer for The Kelley Group, which is overseeing renovations and improvements to Riverside Marina.
Taft said he would send the apparent low bid to ADECA for approval, but Jessup said it’s unlikely the council would vote to move forward with the construction project at Tuesday night’s meeting because of the cost.
“I really wanted to get this boardwalk done,” Jessup said. “We may have to get another grant.”
He said the town doesn’t have the funds to proceed on this project now.
“We’re out of money,” he said. “We just can’t shoot from our hips.”
Jessup said there are still plenty of things to do with the $50,000 left from the ADECA grant, if the town doesn’t come up with additional funds to complete the boardwalk.
He said the town still needs to bury the utilities, pave the parking lot and complete landscaping around Riverside Marina.
Jessup said the town has already completed the construction of the floating and gas piers.
He said the work at Riverside Landing is an ongoing process, divided into five phases.
“It will take us 5-10 years to complete all the work,” Jessup said.
Contact David Atchison at datchison@dailyhome.com.
