Swimming pool bids opened

Several City Council members, Mayor Wayne Wagner, and City Attorney Wes Wagner, were present Thursday for the bid opening of the Manila swimming pool project.

Will Andrews and Carl Menyhart with ETC Engineers and Architects, Inc. opened bids for the swimming pool Thursday afternoon. Also pictured (left) is City Councilman Tony Hawkins.

"The last swimming pool built in Manila was in 1951," Wagner said. "We are proud to be able to do this today."

Citizens of Manila passed a one cent sales tax last year to fund the swimming pool construction. Property has been purchased across from the existing city park.

David Hopkins, president and engineer manager with Landmark Engineering and Surveying of Little Rock was on hand as Will Andrews and Carl Menyhart with ETC Engineers and Architect Inc. opened and read each of the four bids.

Several contractors and representatives of contract companies were present.

The total base bids for each submitted, along with a list of subcontractors, were read by Andrews.

The base bids and companies were: Stonebridge Construction -- $3,398,800; Stracener Brothers -- $3,490,778; Olympus Construction -- $3,025,000; and GAG Builders -- $3,201,000.

The low bidder was Olympus Construction of Jonesboro.

Andrews then read the breakdown bid for the pool site and the therapeutic pool.

"Olympus is the apparent low bidder, but it is over our budget," Andrews said. "We will have to get together and see what we can do."

The total budget for the project is $2.6 million.

"We are going to meet with Olympus Tuesday and try to get the bid within range we can accept," Mayor Wagner said.