OCEAN CITY — Resort officials this week were set back a little with a low number of bids for the replacement of a Northside Park gym floor and the amount the bids were over budget.
The gym floor is buckling in places and needs to be replaced. Seven companies were solicited to submit bids for the gym floor replacement project and just two actually submitted bids. One bid came in at over $236,000, while the other came in at over $171,000. The project was budgeted for $150,000 in the fiscal year 2022 budget. The council voted unanimously to remand the two bids to staff for a review and recommendation.
Council President Matt James said the dynamics of the construction industry and demand are factors the resort and private businesses must adapt to in current times.
“I think this is the world we’re going to be living in for a while,” he said. “It’s really not that surprising.”
The discussion about the gym floor replacement bids carried over to the Recreation and Parks Committee meeting later on Tuesday. Councilman and committee member Mark Paddack said he was surprised with the bid opening outcome.
“We only got two bids and both of them were over budget,” he said. “It shocked me that five other companies that were solicited didn’t even submit bids.”
Councilman and committee member Lloyd Martin said it was likely a reflection of the labor shortage.
“That’s a sign of the times,” he said. “Like everybody else, if they don’t have the help, they’re not committing to projects.”
