THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 21, 1997 TAG: 9702210843
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY JEFFREY S. HAMPTON, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: 26 lines
A Chesapeake company submitted a low bid of $231,473 Thursday to renovate the old BB&T bank building for new city offices.
In recent years, exorbitant costs for government projects have stunned officials, but this bid is $30,000 less than expected.
``We are very, very excited,'' said Mayor Rick Gardner, who will recommend that City Council accept the bid from C.D. Hayes Inc. at the next council meeting, March 3. The extra money will help offset some of the higher-than-expected costs of building a new fire station.
The city bought the BB&T building after the bank moved to its new building on Ehringhaus Street. The old BB&T building sits next to the existing city offices on Colonial Avenue.
Gardner said City Council chambers, the mayor's and city manager's offices will be moved into the renovated building. Customer service and the finance department also may be moved there.
The Colonial Avenue offices also will be renovated later for planning and public works offices. The expected cost will be $50,000, Gardner said. The city will request new bids for that project.