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County to rebid Opinicus road project

Commissioners are on a tight schedule after first bids came in over budget to build a short road at the company's relocation site.

By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET
Published July 4, 2004

ODESSA - The plans to bring a high-tech flight simulator manufacturer to central Pasco County have hit an $800,000 bump in the road.

Before Opinicus Corp. can build a plant that would create 225 new jobs during the next five years, the company needs a short road linking its landlocked site to State Road 54.

Engineers estimate it would cost $1.7-million to build that road, with a state economic development grant covering most of the cost. But the lowest bid from a contractor came in at $2.5-million, about $800,000 over budget.

Now county officials are scurrying to rebid the project with the hope of getting a better price. And they must move quickly, because construction on the 2,000-foot road needs to start by Aug. 15.

"Unless the road's built, there's not going to be an Opinicus because you've got to get to it (the property)," said Assistant County Attorney Barbara Wilhite.

The County Commission agreed Tuesday to rebid on a condensed time schedule, allowing contractors only 15 days to respond instead of the usual 30. Under the terms of the $1.1-million state economic development grant, the county is responsible for getting the road built.

Opinicus Corp. employs about 30 people and has its headquarters in Clearwater. Under the plans submitted to the county, the company would move those employees to a new, 60,000-square-foot facility in central Pasco and hire 225 additional workers over time.

The average annual salary for those jobs, including executive positions, would top $67,000.

The proposed Opinicus site covers 5.28 acres at the southeastern end of Suncoast Crossings, a business park that Hogan Suncoast LLC is developing at State Road 54 and the Suncoast Parkway. Bill Knight, vice president of development for Hogan Suncoast, said he is "hopefully optimistic" the contractors will offer better prices for the road during the second round of bidding.

Some "misconceptions" drove up the contractors' first bids, Knight said. For example, contractors overestimated the amount of fill dirt needed for the divided four-lane road, based on unclear specifications in the bidding documents, he said.

Also, Knight said, some of the contractors' material costs "were not in line with current pricing."

What if the new bids still are over budget?

"I hope that doesn't have to come to fruition," said County Commissioner Steve Simon, who said commissioners would have to weigh their options at that point.

"It is a concern," he said. "We do want them here."

MORE HOMES FOR WESLEY CHAPEL: Commissioners approved a rezoning Tuesday night that will allow Stokes & Griffith Properties to sandwich 260 homes between the Fox Ridge and Citrus Acres neighborhoods. The 77.6-acre tract is on the south side of SR 54 at Wesley Chapel Loop.

[Last modified July 3, 2004, 09:02:07]