Belmar Boardwalk Bid Comes In $10.4 million under expectations
Belmar’s engineering firm, Birdsall Services Group, told the Mayor and Council of the Borough to expect their new boardwalk to cost $17 million. The winning bid came in at $6.6 million.
The winning bidder, Epic Construction of Piscataway is no fly by night. Mayor Matt Doherty says the borough checked them out thoroughly because they came in so much lower than expectations and lower than the other 22 bidders. The highest bid was $19 million, according to NJ.com.
Doherty told MMM that the borough benefited by getting the project out fast after the Hurricane Sandy, thereby attracting 23 bidders.
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Belmar goes out to bid to rebuild their boardwalk by summer 2013
Competition works for Boardwalk Building. Why shouldn’t be allowed to work for health care costs by allowing people to buy across state lines?
Great point – that is proof that the free market, when unencumbered, works and works well. Health insurance is one, labor is another. How about getting rid of prevailing wage and making NJ a right to work state?
That competition in a free enterprise system is the most efficient and cost-effective for the overburdened taxpayers. The sooner we see those sad black holes filled back in with our beloved boardwals and beachfront activities, the better!
Birdsall tells Belmar to budget $17M for the boardwalk. Low bid is $6.6M from EPIC. EPIC was the GC for the Rutgers stadium expansion. Why the $17M estimate? Normally engineering and architectural firms get $10% of the estimate for their services. Birdsell was looking at a $1.7M fee. Now they will only get $600K, which is more than they should get. $100K would be enough. Maybe this is why a second Birdsell executive was indicted this week.
Birdsell was also implicated in the secret PACs that were run by the Middlesex County Democrats.