For construction projects such as the police
station, the City of Longview is required to accept the lowest bid and not
consider whether a company is local. The $23.9 million contract is about 14.6%
or about $4 million below the allocated construction budget for the project.
The Longview City Council on Thursday, Oct. 22, voted to
approve a $23.9 million contract with WRL General Contractors to construct a
new three-story, 74,300-square-foot police station.
The new police station is one of a series of public safety
enhancements approved by voters as part of a $52.4 million Public Safety bond
election in 2018. Voters also approved Streets and Parks bond packages at that
time. Other public safety enhancements in the bond include renovating and
expanding Fire Station 5, constructing a new Fire Station 7, replacing and
relocating Fire Station 8, moving the Fire and Police Training Center, and
renovating the current police building.
Construction on the police station should begin in early
2021. The new facility will be located
across South Street from City Hall and the current police department. The 2018
bond will also fund the renovation of the current facility, which will house a
relocated Emergency Operations Center, expand the Municipal Court facilities,
and accommodate Longview Human Resources as well as Partners in Prevention
offices.
When considering the project in 2018, the Comprehensive Plan
Advisory Committee examined the possibility of either expanding the existing
police building or constructing a new facility. It was determined during that
process that expansion was not a viable option as compared to constructing a
new facility that would meet the current and future needs of the department.
The $23,875,100 bid from WRL General Contractors of Flint,
Texas, was the lowest of eight companies bidding for the contract, including
two Longview organizations. For
construction projects such as the police station, the City of Longview is
required to accept the lowest bid and not consider whether a company is local.
The $23.9 million contract is about 14.6% or about $4 million below the
allocated construction budget for the project.