By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The guaranteed maximum price for the new police station in Great Bend
has been approved, construction is expected to begin next month and the new
20,100 square-foot building is scheduled to be finished by next August.
The total expense to construct and completely furnish the police station to be
built at the 12th Street and Baker Avenue intersection will cost $8,883,273, below the $9.1 million estimate from May. The total cost includes $518,091 in contingencies.
Alan Youngers, with McCownGordon Construction, told the Great Bend City Council Monday night that the project will include
work for eight local contractors.
"We have presented to you several times before with budget updates along the way," said Youngers. "Through that process, the plan was refined to get us to this point. We've worked hard over the last month on getting bids. We had 96 bids overall, which is a really good turnout."
A .10% sales tax increase approved by voters last November will go towards bond
debt for the police station with a 20-year sunset. Through the sales tax revenue
and savings, the city exceeded the budget by $902,667. Through SPARKS funds,
insurance proceeds and ARPA interest, the city will make up the difference.
The city kept two alternates to the project that include a $16,434 monument sign out
front and $187,903 for site security and fencing. Paul Michell with McCownGordon said the
fencing will go around the parking for officers and staff to provide a safer entrance
and exit.
"Public safety facilities with a fence is by far the national standard," said Michell. "Some municipalities, more suburban not with a downtown setting like this and that don't have an issue with vandalism or the public walking through their back parking lot, may elect not to do that. That's not the situation here. There has been some concern in the past."
The new police station and municipal court room will replace the station on
Williams Street that was built in 1938, and nearly triple its size.