Albany County changes course on fairgrounds grandstand
Albany County commissioners earlier this week approved a new purchasing approach for rebuilding the fairgrounds grandstand, giving authorization for County Engineer Jake Schneider to pursue cooperative purchasing and separate contracts with a maximum project price of $2,893,450. The board rejected the only design-build proposal, which was submitted by Capital Builders of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, as it was nonresponsive. Schneider said the proposal lacked a required 5% bid bond and other requested information, raising concerns about completing the grandstand in time for next July’s Laramie Jubilee Days. Fairgrounds grandstand Schneider proposed having the county take a much more direct role in managing the project instead of awarding the entire rebuild to a singular general contractor. Under that approach, the county would purchase bleachers through a cooperative purchasing agreement and seek bids for other work, including underground electrical, water and utility components. Schneider would oversee the schedule. Several prospective bidders attended the pre-bid meeting, but only Capital Builders submitted a proposal. Schneider said he could not say definitively why the others declined to bid. Commissioner Thad Hoff questioned whether the county should postpone the project for a year rather than risk demolishing the existing grandstand without having replacements ready. Schneider said
