County Pushes to Maintain Construction Jobs in 4th District
In spite of the poor condition of the economy, and the downturn in construction jobs, the County of Riverside is making strides in saving jobs and giving taxpayers maximum returns with a series of public infrastructure projects in the Fourth District.
Cities in the Coachella Valley saw rapid construction job growth during the recent boom times... but with the folding of the housing market, those jobs have dried up.
"We're trying to accomplish two things by pushing through these public infrastructure projects during this slow period," said Fourth District Supervisor Roy Wilson. "Not only are we buffering the impacts on the overall construction job picture, but we're getting great investments as construction firms compete for the few jobs that are out there."
As a result, the County has recently seen some quite competitive bids come in on projects long in the planning stages. For example, the new Thousand Palms Fire Center, comprised of an urban fire station, a training center, and a "burn tower," originally estimated at $11.5 million was bid at $8.2 million, a savings of $3.3 million. The Indio Hills Community Center project was originally estimated at $1.5 million, and the bid came in at $1.35 million, another $150,000 saved.
The pipeline component of the Mesa Verde Water System project was originally estimated at $1.5 million, and that project was bid at roughly half that amount: $792,486; and the Varner/Monterey improvements project was estimated at $8.4 million, but the low bid was $6.9 million. For these projects alone, approximately $5.5 million in anticipated costs did not materialize.
But there's even more to this story: other projects recently completed like the Mecca Library/Sheriff's Office facility at $4 million (original estimate $4.7 million) also saved money; and projects yet to come offer the potential for additional savings to taxpayers. The Thermal Sheriff's Substation, Forensic Center and Aviation Facility is one of the biggest.
Projects currently under construction or starting construction this summer, most of them through the County's Economic Development Agency, represent approximately $90 million in investments, and almost 900 jobs, most of them in construction.
"It may not be a good time to build houses," said Supervisor Wilson. "But it's a great time to be building public infrastructure-infrastructure that will be needed when the housing boom resumes, and people need facilities.