Rotorua Lakes Council is seeking tenders from potential contractors for the construction phase of the restoration of Rotorua’s museum.
In August, the Infrastructure and Environment Committee confirmed its commitment to restore and strengthen the building as a Museum, subject to conditions that require careful project management and raising sufficient funding.
In September, Council’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee agreed to end negotiations with Hawkins Construction and to adopt a closed tender process with up to three appropriately qualified main contractors, Council said in a statement today.
The minutes of the decision have now been released.
“Council engaged Hawkins as an ECI (early contractor involvement) consultant during the design stage, and they provided good advice on construction feasibility of the design and contributed very effectively to the design process,” museum project executive sponsor, Rotorua Lakes Council Interim Chief Executive, Gina Rangi said.
“As we now move into the construction phase for Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa, and given the changes in the construction sector since we first appointed Hawkins, Council has decided that a multi-party closed tender process is the most commercially appropriate way forward. This will ensure that we have the most competitive pricing possible and that we have the right expertise for a build of this type.
“We anticipate being ready with a recommendation to award the construction contract by early next year for a decision of Council.”
Minutes of the previously confidential decision, made in September, can be viewed on p41 of the meeting agenda for the 1 November Infrastructure and Environment Committee meeting.
Parts of the minutes, and the report prepared for the Infrastructure and Environment Committee’s considering in September, remain confidential due to commercial sensitivity, Council said today.
