NEW LONDON — More than two dozen contractors hoping to take part in the construction of the National U.S. Coast Guard Museum attended a “robust” bid opening event earlier this month, museum association leaders said Monday.
“We had contractors there representing nine trades, including those specializing in subterranean work and steel, along with those that provide emergency generators for these types of buildings,” said Wes Pulver, association president and a retired Coast Guard captain. “Those companies represented about 50% of the overall construction work we plan.”
Pulver said 70% of the project's anticipated $150 million price tag ― which includes the creation of a pedestrian bridge projected to connect the downtown museum to the Water Street garage and building finishing work ― will be dedicated to construction of the main museum building.
The April 3 bid opening at the Garde Arts Center will now be followed by a second submission round on April 17 in which a small number of contractors — mainly those who handle wall-related work ― are slated to submit their bids, Pulver said.
Bids for construction of the 89,000-square-foot, six-story museum building and its associated interior systems were requested in late February by North Stonington-based A/Z Corp., which is overseeing the work.
The scope of the work at 1790 Waterfront Drive includes concrete foundation, skeletal steel and flooring, as well as exterior metal panel,…
