Ringgold CVB approves bid for overhaul of Depot decking
Ringgold Convention & Visitors Bureau approves bid for overhaul of Depot decking.
The city of Ringgold’s Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has awarded a bid for the planned replacement of the wood decking at the historic Depot with concrete.
Late last year, Mayor Nick Millwood, the city council, and the CVB began discussing the decking upgrades to the Depot, which is used throughout the year for weddings, birthdays, music shows, plays, banquets, and conventions.
The CVB handles the funding, rentals, and revenues of the Depot, and Main Street Director Rhonda Johnson says the board received two bids on the project that were evaluated by the project’s architect.
The high bid came in at $184,4000, while the low bid came in at $130,000 from the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Robert Roberts, LLC.
“The high bidder gave us a 90-day timetable to complete the project, while Robert Roberts gave us a 60day,” Johnson said. “There’s also a demolition removal alternate and one for removal of electrical.”
During the CVB’s monthly meeting Tuesday night, Aug. 1, Johnson broke down the alternate provisions, which could save additional money on the overall cost of the project.
“At $5,000, since they were the low bid, I think it’s worth it to have them do the demolition, but the $9,000 alternate for the electrical is something we could do internally, which would bring that bid down $9,000,” Johnson said. “Our Depot budget at this time is a little over $150,000, so the budget can sustain this bid on the project at $121,000.”
The project includes replacing the wood decking with wood-stamped concrete, new stairs, and creating a second wheelchair ramp near the entrance closed to Barger Bridge at the U.S. Highway 41 overpass.
As it stands now, the facility’s only handicap ramp is at the opposite end of the building, roughly 200 feet away from the main entrance near Barger Bridge.
“It’ll give us the extra handicapped ramp by Barger Bridge, and it’s also going to get us where we can adjust the skinny little sidewalk between the deck and the bridge,” Johnson said. “It (the sidewalk) is not big enough for a wheelchair or golf cart right now, so we’re going to be widening that area to accommodate those.”
While the project is estimated to take approximately 60 days, Johnson says the CVB is still trying to organize a start date.
“We’re going to get with them and pull our Depot calendar and let any renters know what’s going on,” she said. “The work will be done in two phases, so it won’t be an issue for any events at the Depot. We’ll always have access into the Depot for events on one side.”
The CVB board approved the bid with the $9,000 alternate adjustment, bringing the project cost down to $121,000.
“It’s huge for the Depot,” Johnson said. “It’s a lot of money, but it’s a one-time expenditure versus the many times the deck has been replaced, and the annual maintenance that goes into keeping it safe.”