Estimates were over on one library, but county council made some of that back with a lower cost on a second library it hopes to construct this year.
Council approved the two bids by Devlan Construction Ltd., of Guelph, to build a new library in Drayton, and a joint library and medical facility in Arthur at its meeting on Jan. 31. There were six companies who applied to do the work, with one of them bidding only on the Drayton project.
The county had set up the bids so that companies could bid on either library, and also provide bid for a total on both projects, and 12 firms were invited to bid.
In all cases, Devlan was the low bidder. It offered to build the Drayton library for $2.08-million, the Arthur library and medical facility for $2.29-million, for a total of $4.37-million (all figures rounded off).
A Mississauga company was the second lowest bidder in all three categories, with its total being $4.78-million.
Manager of purchasing and risk management Mark Bolzon said the tender estimates for the Drayton library last July were $1.8-million, but the actual low bid was $254,000 higher than expected. But, the Arthur project was $131,000 under that July estimate.
Council also declared the old library in Drayton to be surplus, in order to sell that property.
The current library in Arthur is rented by the county.
