Christiansen 'apparent low bidder' for MnDOT building

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

April 23, 1997

By Devlyn Brooks

Staff Writer

A new "apparent low bidder" has been determined for the construction of a new state Department of Transportation district headquarters to be located on Highway 2 west of Bemidji, local MnDOT officials announced Tuesday.

According to Karen Bedeau, MnDOT public affairs coordinator in Bemidji, Christiansen Construction of Bemidji has been named the new apparent low bidder, after MnDOT officials found errors in bids from the first two low bidders -- Nor-Son Inc. of Baxter and Roer's Construction of Fargo, N.D.

Bedeau stressed that Christiansen Construction has only been named the "apparent low bidder" for now because engineers are still verifying the company's bid, but she said an announcement of whether the company would be awarded the bid would be made within 10 days.

Christiansen Construction's bid is $7,240,177 for the project. Nor-Son's -- the first apparent low bidder -- was $7,050,000, and Roer's Construction was $7,185,000. The other two companies to submit bids are Kraus-Anderson of Bemidji at $7,245,000 and Gordon Construction of Mahnomen at $7,412,142.

Two alternate deductions the companies were asked to give quotes for have been determined unnecessary because the bids came in near the estimated project total, a local MnDOT engineer said. The engineer said had the bids been nearer $8 million, MnDOT might have deleted out of the contract such work as building cubs, gutters and sidewalks; and deleting precast concrete spandrel wall panels.

MnDOT employees began clearing and grubbing the new site, adjacent to Highway 2 and County Road 11, last fall. According to Bedeau, they also were to pave part of the complex, acquire from the city of Bemidji utility extensions to the site, build a salt storage building and landscape the site.

The 102,000 square-foot, one-story building will be situated on about 30 acres of land and will house MnDOT's district staff for the Bemidji area in administration, construction planning and engineering and maintenance operations. Department of Public Safety state troopers for the district also will have offices in the new building, and a maintenance yard, salt storage shed and equipment also will be on the site.

Construction is expected to begin after the contract is awarded, and occupancy is expected by June 15, 1998.