InstantnewsBellaire.com

The Bellaire City Council on Monday voted unanimously to approve a bid of $761,729 to replace the South Rice Lift Station, an important but outdated component of the city’s sewer-wastewater system.

Metro City Construction won the project with a proposal that was the lowest among six bidders. The bid was even lower than an engineer’s estimate before the city reached out to construction companies for proposals.

“Contractors are hungry for work,” said Ralph Cox, an engineer and vice president of Klotz Associates. “We are finding it’s not unusual for bids to be 20 to 30 percent below our estimate. It’s a nice time to bid work.”

It’s not the first time the economic recession has shown benefits for Bellaire’s infrastructure improvement projects. The cost of building the city’s new fire station also came in under budget because of the favorable bidding climate.

Cox said his company thoroughly vetted Metro City Construction to ensure the company could deliver quality work for the city. Cox talked with other cities, contractors and engineers that worked with Metro City Construction, and also spoke with the company’s banker.