City Hall Parking Lot Project Going to Bid

Elkins, W. Va., March 19, 2021: The City of Elkins will soon be accepting bids for construction services for a project to pave and make other improvements to the parking lot at Elkins City Hall. Parties interested in bidding must attend a mandatory pre-bid meeting on April 1 and submit bids by April 26. The pre-bid meeting and the bid opening will both be held at Elkins City Hall.

The project site includes both the police parking area adjacent to Davis Avenue and the large city/public parking area extending from behind city hall to Railroad Avenue. The lot, which is partially paved and partially gravel, or aggregate, is currently not ideal for year-round use.

“Right now, with that gravel surface, most of that parking lot is really not very useable during the winter months or during rainy weather,” says Bob Pingley, the city’s operations manager. “It’s also frankly not very attractive right now, and that’s unfortunate given the high utilization of Railroad Avenue by train customers and other visitors.”

Pingley says the project will correct these shortcomings and provide a parking alternative for anyone who needs to come downtown.

“Our goal with this project is to create a paved, well-lit, attractive parking lot with a large number of spaces for downtown business owners, customers, and other members of the public to use, free of charge,” he explained.

Project components include asphalt paving and striping; construction of concrete curbing and sidewalk; storm sewer, sanitary sewer, and electrical/communications modifications; landscaping, including planting green spaces with native species; and other items as time and budget allow.

“In the design process, we’re also going to be looking at implementing a standard look for signage and other elements to be used at all city properties,” said Pingley.

The firm of Pickering Associates is already under contract for project management, civil engineering, landscape design, and related services.

A pre-bid meeting will be held in council chambers at Elkins City Hall (401 Davis Avenue) on Thursday, April 1, at 9 a.m. This meeting is mandatory for any company planning to submit a bid. Bids will be accepted until 1 p.m. on April 26, 2021, at which time they will be opened in a public meeting. Both meetings are open to the public. This project is expected to be completed this year.

Parties interested in bidding must obtain a bid package from Pickering Associates. Electronic bid documents are available at www.pickeringplanroom.com at no cost.