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F.H. Collins bids opened

The bids to build the new F.H. Collins high school are in, and the lowest was just over $31 million.

The bids to build the new F.H. Collins high school are in, and the lowest was just over $31 million.

“We had four bidders, and they were between $31 and $32 million,” said Kendra Black, a spokeswoman for Highways and Public Works. “The lowest was $31.139 million and the highest was $32.655 million.”

The government’s construction budget for the project is $38.6 million.

No decision has yet been made to award the contract, Black said.

“We’re still evaluating the bids. We have 60 days to do so, but obviously we do not expect it to take that long,” she said.

The bids will be reviewed first for their compliance with the project requirements, then for the bidders’ relevant experience with similar projects, and finally by price. The lowest qualified bidder will get the contract, Black said.

This is the second time bids have come back for the project. The first round, last year, was for a different design. After the government tacked on additions to the project, like a temporary gym and geothermal heat, the lowest bid on that project was $47.8 million.

The government killed the project, saying it was $10 million over budget, and instead used designs for a previously constructed school in Alberta.