Pico Rivera : City Council Rejects Bids to Build Community Center

Plans to construct a gymnasium and community center at Pico Park were set back last week when the City Council unanimously rejected all eight bids to build the project.

The bids were at least $200,000 higher than the city could afford, said Assistant City Manager Ann Negendank. The lowest bid for building the 23,000-square-foot gymnasium was $2.5 million. The high bid was $3.4 million.

The city might seek new bids and also will explore options that could cut construction costs. Some money could be saved if the city managed a greater portion of the contracting work, Negendank said. The city will pay for the project with funds set aside from its share of a 1992 county bond issue.

A new recommendation should be ready for council consideration by December, Negendank said.