A $5.2 million Kalamazoo riverbank stabilization project at the base of Perrigo’s headquarters on Eastern Avenue is set to start Nov. 1, after the Allegan City Council approved a bid by Milbocker & Sons to complete the work.
“This is a very big and important project with undertaking and help by Perrigo and FEMA,” said city manager Joel Dye at the council meeting on Monday, Oct. 23.
A Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is paying $3.9 million of the cost and the local cost of $1.3 million is being paid by Perrigo to stabilize the eroding bluff behind their corporate offices. Engineering costs are $274,000.
Three bids were opened on Friday.
“The bid award wasn’t just based on the low bid,” Dye said. “It was scored 70 percent on the bid submittal and the rest on the scope of work and experience.”
Milbocker & Sons of Allegan bid $3,843,057. Taplin Environmental Contracting Corporation of Kalamazoo bid $3,728,421 and Anlaan Corporation of Grand Haven bid $3,852,868.
When bid scores were added on the scope of the work and experience, Milbocker was on top after doing a similar bank stabilization project at M-222 (Grand Street).
Milbocker & Sons will again be setting up barges and cranes on the island in the Mill District. Equipment will also be located from the Eastern Avenue access to the steep riverbank slope. The company will work through the winter as weather permits. The completion date is September 2018.
“It’s great to see a local company doing this,” said council member Nancy Ingalsbee. “They certainly have a stellar reputation.”
Virginia Ransbottom can be contacted at vransbottom@allegannews.com or at (269) 673-5534.
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