by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
A change of heart by the General Counsel’s Office has pushed back construction on the City’s Bay Street Town Center improvements until at least early August.
The delay brings the project another month closer to a Super Bowl deadline set by the mayor’s office. The City’s deputy director of Public Works said last month that work would have to start by June to finish in time for the Feb. 6 game.
The City’s lawyers originally said the City could use an in-house construction firm for the project, which includes widening sidewalks, landscaping and installing historic lighting. By using Onas, a minority-owned company already under a City contract, the City was to skip a lengthy bidding process and expedite work on an area the mayor’s office envisions as the City’s premier entertainment district for the Super Bowl.
However, a subsequent opinion found that Onas’ contract limited the general contractor to projects under $500,000. The City was advised to allow competitive bids for the electrical work and landscaping. The bidding is expected to close late this month with construction to follow close behind.
Public Works spokesperson Sherry Hall said construction would follow, “an accelerated schedule,” but said Bay Street would be ready for the 100,000 visitors expected for the game.
“We will be ready for the Super Bowl,” said Hall.
That the City will go ahead with construction indicates Bay Street’s importance to City Hall’s Super Bowl Plans. Peyton has ordered work stopped on several projects to ensure ongoing construction doesn’t mar the City’s appearance when the game carries Jacksonville onto an international stage.
The corridor is being counted on to help provide the nightlife component of the City’s Super Bowl presentation. Bay Street is home to one of downtown’s few freestanding bars — the Eclate Jazz Bar — and is expected to come alive in the weeks leading up to the game, featuring a series of temporary bars and restaurants housed in tents.
Assistant General Counsel Anthony Zebouni released the opinion June 24, as a follow up to his original. His first opinion said the City could skip bidding for the Bay Street project, because Onas had bid previously for its City contract.
Zebouni’s second opinion said the City wouldn’t break any laws by skipping bidding. However, he said the City was limited by its own purchasing rules, from awarding work over $500,000 to a single in-house contractor.