It looks like

Bell Construction will build Fayette's new jail and courthouse for $31.98

million.

Architects

and engineers opened bids in a formal setting Tuesday afternoon as representatives

of five companies looked on.

Bell's bid

is the apparent winner, with the next closest bid coming from Beers Construction

Co. at $32.28 million. Engineering firm Mallett and Associates will verify

that the company has met all the requirements of the project before making

a recommendation to the County Commission.

Since the bidders

were pre-qualified, that process shouldn't take long, said Jim Mallett,

president of the company. The matter is expected to be on the commission's

agenda April 4 at 3:30 p.m.

"This

was a very good set of bids," said Mallett, noting that the difference

between the lowest and highest bid was only about $6 million.

The bid includes

construction of two new pods for the county jail plus the new courthouse,

but does not include renovations to the old jail and courthouse. The old

courthouse will be renovated for sheriff's offices once the new one is

open and staffs have moved in.

Once the construction

firm is formally chosen, county officials hope to see work begin in short

order. Planning for the project, which will be financed using a $55 million

bond issue approved by voters last fall, has been underway for more than

two years.