Rebid On Visalia Wastwater Plant Expansion?
Visalia’s largest construction project ever – the expansion of the city wastewater treatment plant – has run into a snag. The ambitious project was bid out in June with Fresno-based W.M. Lyles the low bidder at around $92 million. But complaints from another bidder has spurred staff to recommend that a new round of bidding take place because of “irregularities in all the bids” says WWT plant administrator Jim Ross. “We will be recommending to City Council Sept 16 to do a rebid and we think it can be done in the next 2 months.”
Sources say the irregularities are minor and that rebidding often results in a higher low bid the to the city now that everybody’s cards are on the table.But with the threat of litigation the city wants this deal to be squeaky clean. The council will decide. Some 10 contractors are bidders on the project – all from out of town.
Long time Visalia planning firm Quad Knopf is moving its headquarters from West Visalia to 901 E. Main Street. The company is purchasing the former gym building on the corner of Burke and Main in the old auto district of Downtown. Company president Mike Knopf says that the new Quad Knopf office will be some 12,00sf with 10,000sf for their use and 2000sf for lease. Knopf says the vacant gym building – originally built for industrial use in the 1960s – will get a makeover “top to bottom “remodeled with a”industrial tech” theme.
Quad Knopf is the oldest and largest planning and engineering firm in town with about 50 employees. Founded in Visalia in 1972 by Randy Zeeb and Harry Tow, Mike Knopf joined as a partner in 1998. Today the company acts as city engineers for 7 smaller cities, and contract planners for several cities as well.
“We will be the first redeveloped office space in this part of the Downtown, but our ‘pioneer’ status shouldn’t last too long. The City of Visalia is currently designing their new 911 dispatch center on city-owned property two blocks to the north.”
Indeed, the City Council took steps in the past few weeks to do just that.
New Home Building Co
Speaking of home building a new start up- San Joaquin Valley Homes, based in Visalia, says it plans to build as many as eight new home projects in the area soon with some underway. The partners are Joe Leal, Jim Robinson and Randy Merrill, all formerly with McMillin Homes.
Visalia Carrows Restaurant Could Become Black Bear Diner
The owners of Black Bear Diner have filed preliminary plans to remodel the Carrows Restaurant on Mooney Blvd. Sources with the company said they could not comment. Carrows was in Tulare, then closed and became a Black Bear Diner some years ago. Carrows is owned by a Japanese company Zensho Co., Ltd. Black Bear Diner is California chain launched in the mid 90s in Shasta and now sports around 60 locations that include Porterville,Tulare and Hanford. Like Carrows,they offer comfort food but in a down-home atmosphere.. The chain has several local connections including the fact that Visalia muralist Colleen Mitchell-Veyna has done over 20 murals in Black Bear Diner locations in the past 10 years.
Family Dentistry Plans Mixed-Use Project Downtown
Settimi Family Dentistry really is a family affair – headed by father Ned Settimi, now retired and two daughters – Dr. Janine Settimi and Dr.Stephanie Settimi.The family is planning to build a two-story, mixed-use building on Acequia where they will demolish the old dentistry building, erect a new dentist office on the ground floor and two residential units on the second floor. It is the first such commercial-residential unit although not technically not a ‘live-work’ arrangement since they docs won’t live there. Also Downtown, there is another approved mixed-use plan at the southeast corner of Church and School. The new Settimi complex on Acequia, across from City Hall is expected to break ground as soon as all construction permits are approved says architect Deborah Woodle.
New Ambulatory Surgery Center
Plans were filed this week for a new 4500sf ambulatory surgery center Downtown at 210 S Johnson to be operated by Dr Talaksoon Shonneh Khademi in the existing building across from City Hall.