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Millions of construction dollars could begin to pour into the local economy, giving a much-needed boost to the building industry when contracts for the second phase of Sierra College’s local campus construction go to bid.
Some trustees are encouraging a preference be given to local contractors for the work, yet, as seen in the past, there are no guarantees.
“I am pretty confident we will have a fairly large percentage of contractors’ money stay here at home in Nevada County. The challenge, of course, is contractors in Nevada County are smaller scale than have worked on public education (projects) in the past,” said Sierra College trustee Aaron Klein.
For the past year, Klein has worked closely with the Nevada County Contractors Association in an attempt to ensure the highest number of local contractors get the work.
A 10,000-square-foot gymnasium, 6,000 square-foot multi-purpose performance facility, and a 3,000-square-foot wellness center for physical education classes are part of the $10 million second phase of the expansion project. Construction could begin as soon as this summer, Klein said.
Such a major project would offer relief to area contractors crippled by a building bust.
“It’s really slow. There’s a lot of contractors out of work, laying off employees. It’s pretty dismal right now,” said Barbara Bashall, executive director of the Nevada County Contractors Association.
With growing membership approaching 500, some have questioned whether contractors from the Sacramento area are seeking membership in the association just to get a piece of the $10 million pie.
Contractors regularly join a variety of builder exchanges to network regionally, said Michael Tigue, vice president of the association’s board of directors.
“That’s a fairly common practice throughout builder exchanges. That’s not unusual,” Tigue said.
“That wouldn’t be considered a local contractor,” Klein said.
When making their decision, Sierra College trustees will have to balance the need to keep money local with choosing the most economical use of taxpayer dollars by selecting a qualified contractor with a fair price, Klein said.
Today’s highly competitive environment has led some contractors to bid so low they make little to no profit, just to keep employees working, Bashall said.
“Contractors are bidding so low, it’s almost like they’re giving the work away. It’s really hard to compete in that type of a market, especially for the smaller guys,” she said.
College administrators are working on a Request for Qualifications, a package that is expected to go out to contractors shortly, Klein said.
A $47 million price tag has been set for the entire renovation and expansion project, with portions of the first phase expected to reach completion sometime this fall.
“I think to keep $10 million in our community would be huge. It’s really important we keep as much work local as possible. Just the trickle-down would be enormous,” Bashall said.
To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.
Some trustees are encouraging a preference be given to local contractors for the work, yet, as seen in the past, there are no guarantees.
“I am pretty confident we will have a fairly large percentage of contractors’ money stay here at home in Nevada County. The challenge, of course, is contractors in Nevada County are smaller scale than have worked on public education (projects) in the past,” said Sierra College trustee Aaron Klein.
For the past year, Klein has worked closely with the Nevada County Contractors Association in an attempt to ensure the highest number of local contractors get the work.
A 10,000-square-foot gymnasium, 6,000 square-foot multi-purpose performance facility, and a 3,000-square-foot wellness center for physical education classes are part of the $10 million second phase of the expansion project. Construction could begin as soon as this summer, Klein said.
Such a major project would offer relief to area contractors crippled by a building bust.
“It’s really slow. There’s a lot of contractors out of work, laying off employees. It’s pretty dismal right now,” said Barbara Bashall, executive director of the Nevada County Contractors Association.
With growing membership approaching 500, some have questioned whether contractors from the Sacramento area are seeking membership in the association just to get a piece of the $10 million pie.
Contractors regularly join a variety of builder exchanges to network regionally, said Michael Tigue, vice president of the association’s board of directors.
“That’s a fairly common practice throughout builder exchanges. That’s not unusual,” Tigue said.
“That wouldn’t be considered a local contractor,” Klein said.
When making their decision, Sierra College trustees will have to balance the need to keep money local with choosing the most economical use of taxpayer dollars by selecting a qualified contractor with a fair price, Klein said.
Today’s highly competitive environment has led some contractors to bid so low they make little to no profit, just to keep employees working, Bashall said.
“Contractors are bidding so low, it’s almost like they’re giving the work away. It’s really hard to compete in that type of a market, especially for the smaller guys,” she said.
College administrators are working on a Request for Qualifications, a package that is expected to go out to contractors shortly, Klein said.
A $47 million price tag has been set for the entire renovation and expansion project, with portions of the first phase expected to reach completion sometime this fall.
“I think to keep $10 million in our community would be huge. It’s really important we keep as much work local as possible. Just the trickle-down would be enormous,” Bashall said.
To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.
