MASON CITY – The Mason City Council on Wednesday set a date for awarding bid package for preparation and construction of a multi-purpose arena.
On January 15, 2019, the council will select the winning bid to do most or all of the work in constructing a multi-purpose arena in Southbridge Mall’s vacant JC Penney box. The anticipated completion date of the project is the end of the year, with construction starting any day now.
Councilman Paul Adams said via social media after the meeting, “It really is an exciting time to be a resident of Mason City and North Iowa.”
According to a City statement on the project:
The River City Renaissance (RCR) project has been making great progress and the first package for the arena is ready for the bid process. Several organizations have collaborated on the design process for the arena and the architects with ICON have helped guide the development well. In order to stay on the aggressive timeframe for the arena, the first bid package has to be acted on quickly. The arena will precede the other portions of the RCR project, but this will allow for the project to continue to accommodate the other partners time constraints, encourage leaseholders at the mall to stay, bring new traffic to the area, and support new investment in the downtown. The Architects, Matti Roinila and Mike Kuntz, were at the council meeting to discuss the schedule and process moving forward from this bid. Bid Package #1 includes primarily demolition and excavation. The following packages are listed below and it is anticipated that these will all be issued in short order to keep the project on pace. The lease on the space for the arena has been signed by the mall owner and the city council will be able to take action on the lease at the next council meeting.
The tentative schedule is below:
Bid Package #1 – Demolition and Excavation
Schedule
- 12/28/18 – Issue Construction Documents
- 12/28/18 – Open for Bid (13 day bidding period)
- 01/10/19 – Bid Due Date
- 01/10/19 – 01/14/19 – ICON Review of Bids
- 01/15/19 – Provide Recommendation of Qualified Bids to Aaron Burnett / City Council
- 01/15/19 – Request City Council Approval
Contract Category #1 – General Demolition Contractor
- Electrical Demolition
- Mechanical Demolition
- Concrete Slab, Exterior Wall, and Interior Partition Demolition
- Earthwork / Mass Excavation
Contract Category #2
- Site & General Conditions – ICON
Bid Package #2 – Structural Steel, Concrete Foundation, and Ice Plant
Schedule
- 01/10/19 – Issue Construction Documents
- 01/10/19 – Open for Bid (14 day bidding period)
- 01/24/19 – Bid Due Date
- 01/24/19 – 01/29/19 – ICON Review of Bids
- 01/29/19 – Provide Recommendation of Qualified Bids to Aaron Burnett / City Council
- 01/29/19 – Request City Council Approval
Contract Category #3 – General Structural Contractor
- Structural Steel / Roof Demolition
- Concrete Foundation / Footing Demolition
- Cast-In-Place Concrete
- Precast Stadia
- Masonry
- Structural Steel Materials
- Structural Steel Installation
- Roofing
Contract Category #4 – Ice Plant and Floor Contractor
- Ice Plant, Rink Slab, Condenser, and Dehumidification
Contract Category #5 – Vertical Circulation Contractor
- Elevator
Contract Category #2
- Site & General Conditions – ICON
Bid Package #3 – Mechanical, Electrical, and Interior Fit-Up
Schedule
- 03/14/19 – Issue Construction Documents
- 03/14/19 – Open for Bid (14 day bidding period)
- 03/28/19 – Bid Due Date
- 03/28/19 – 04/02/19 – ICON Review of Bids
- 04/02/19 – Provide Recommendation of Qualified Bids to Aaron Burnett / City Council
- 04/02/19 – Request City Council Approval
Contract Category #6 – General Contractor
- Interior Fit-Up
Contract Category #7 – Mechanical Contractor
- Mechanical Rough-In and Fit-Up
Contract Category #8 – Electrical Contractor
- Electrical Rough-In and Fit-Up
Contract Category #9 – Landscape Contractor
- Exterior Improvements
a majority of the projected revenue will be made from property tax. Under the exempt irs rule we have a little thing called “disqualified lease” clause. this property has a great case for filing a tax exempt under this rule.
With all the criminal and things that have gone on with this project alone should be enough to send to the DCI to investigate the City and this project. Call for the DCI TO INVESTIGATE THIS PROJECT CITY COUNCIL, andTHE COURTHOUSE with the tax cover up. Kill 3 birds with one stone.
Not from mason city BUT SOMEONE NEEDS TO DEMAND A PUBLIC REVOTE ON THIS. The terms have changed that the original vote was for. CITIZENS …. SOME ONE PUBPLICALLY NEEDD TO STAND UP AND ASK FOR S REVOTE. Call all news media saying the citizens of Mason City demand a REVOTE due to changes of the original vote!!!!!! Tell the city council citizens want a REVOTE and then go to all TV AND NEWS MEDIA WITH THE SAME …. REVOTE. REVOTE. REVOTE…. Hell Matt you call for a REVOTE. You are a mason city citizen.
Roman Colosseum built and paid for by the slaves for the rich, same old schemes through the streams of time, have a bake sale and earn the $ for the expensive rich kid play pen.
Another main attraction, canoeing down the pig “manure” river, social engineering at it’s best, surely eating microwave cake while smelling pig manure and pig urine saturated air is appealing also.
I would like to see from someone with youth hockey, proof that they can supply 200.00 dollars let alone 2.000.000
I have been told by many on the inside that they have nothing.
BULLSHITBULLSHITBULLSHIT BULLSHITBULLSHITBULLSHIT
Why pay for some bratty kids to play on ice? Send them to work on a farm and learn what work is. Stupid brats will ruin our country when they become adults.
Who’s getting rich – what is the interest rate on the 20 year bonds ? Even if it’s only 3% the first year will interest alone will be over what HALF A MILLION DOLLARS ? $600,000.00 – WHEW – wish I hade that – instead of paying for THAT ! Who are the bond holders – usually not the deplorables like most of us that put President Trump in office. PS – If it wasn’t for the Trump you would have your work force – ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS that you would also be paying for in new schools – health care – and welfare – government housing — consider yourself lucky some smart people voted him in because the democrats are mostly public servants and welfare slugs looking for a free ride.
Oh my, you post is most laughable!! We all around the table got a good laugh at it. Do you really believe the bullshit you posted? If so you truly need help and it is sad you can not see or the knowledge to know how ridiculous you sound. Trump is one of the dumbest presidents in history so far. But then again you don’t sound to bright yourself by your post. Take the blinders off.
Ya. Lets argue about this thing we wont ever be able to stop. While we are at it maybe there will be another shooting or violent home invasion. Maybe we let the morons play real life monopoly and we as citizens find some way to make our community safe? Let them build their hotel and watch it be empty because nobody wants to travel to mason city to overpay for everything so they can go to a walmart and maybe see a violent crime while they look at all the wandering bicycling people addicted to hard drugs. Nothing here to draw anyone to their dumbass idea’s so let then fail. In the meantime itd be nice to walk the dog after dark without wondering when some scum bag is gonna try to rob you.
When will these people actually do their homework: 1) ceiling leaks terrible,sewer system is in terrible shape below it and concerts CANNOT be held in this do to rider restrictions, plus taxes are STILL and issue. These are board members that have no business clue.
This is a joke pushed forward by the ONLY ones that will befefit, MCyouth Hockey, what a joke
That’s not what the city council meant when they said they were going to light up the North End
That’s because that’s not what they meant when they said light up the North End
How can Mason City be building a retractable roof stadium when they haven’t even finished the North End lighting project. The new road is black and the removed the 5 lights we had up here.
Because MC has always bent over for certain facets of the town and let the others dwindle.
WE DON’T OWN THE BUILDING IDIOTS, BUT YOUR CONTRACTING WORK TO BE DONE. OMG
It’s the only way to pay for it. Multi purpose arenas aren’t free. A private entity must own it to get the TIF dollars to pay the bonds issued for its construction. There would be no TIF dollars if th city owned it as governments don’t pay property tax.
This isn’t a retractable roof stadium. Geezus you’re dumb.
The project on north Federal Avenue was a DOT project, not a City affair (although from the looks of it, the City had some input into the final configuration).
My last drive up that way, contractors were working on putting in footings for the overhead lights. Complicating things is the fact that the lighting contractor could not proceed further until the overhead lines were removed, which was/is delayed by the contractor who is supposed to be burying the Mediacom cable.
Look at how long it took them to get the traffic control at South Carolina installed on the 5th Street project. Or that they have yet to connect the existing lights on Federal/Delaware north of the Highway. And some nights, the lights on 5th Street are not even illuminated.
Compared to the other contractors on that project (5th Street), observing the lighting people work, reminded me of watching the Keystone Cops.
And yes, the same company from the 5th Street project, is doing the work on north Federal. Have fun with that.
The brickwalk plaza leading to north entrance of Southbridge was huge waist of money and time. It has crumbled and should be addressed before someone gets hurt. The plaza wasn’t destroyed by foot traffic it was destroyed by poor planning,lack of knowledge,and terrible craftsmanship. The one storm drain is 10 feet from north doors and when it rains all of the water funnels in flowing down the center of the brick path that also serves as the storm gutter that cost mc millions to construct THATS IT WE SAVE THE MALL BY HOLDING WHITE WATER RAFTING LESSONS ON THE PLAZA WHEN IT RAINS. MASON CITY COUNCIL SHOULD PRACTICE THEIR PRETEND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS FAR FAR AWAY FROM ANYTHING THAT FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT DESIGNED . The construction company that performed any work of yhat project should be held financially responsible and never be considered let alone be awarded the next one. It doesn’t appear that there was a architect or any engineers involved with the plaza but if so lets hold a public stoning on plaza to rise moning and awareness. On second thought better just move and sell our property here before taxes triples
Yes, the bricks installed on the sidewalks downtown were a poor choice. All up and down Federal, just as in the area around the Plaza, is becoming or has become a walking hazard.
The City and who ever they hired to do the engineering, are probably to blame as I am sure the contractor only installed what they were were told to put in.
But, we have statues and “critical” paint on the buildings downtown. And that is more important.
There is a reason they are doing this backwards. Bend over when they announce development agreement with gatehouse by then it will be too late. Back door politics by Shickel and Robin Anderson. Paul Adams who said he would be against raising taxes is too dumb to know what is going on.
How can the City of Mason City award a contract to do any work on a building they do not own?
Oh, it’s that new form of city government called “Being Freakin’ Stupid”!
Paul Adams has turned into a REAL TRAITOR to the people who voted for him!
….it’s called horse before the kart construction, made famous in MC, DO NOT SUPPORT THIS FACILITY PERIOD.
Hmmmmm let me guess?? Henkel or Henkel?
They are actually pretty good to work with.
The mall needs a lot of repairs. Guess what Mason City you are going to fix up the mall. Why do you think the owner didn’t do any repairs?
tell me again where is all this money coming from, o yea the mc tax payers.
If So am correct, the voters of Mason city overwhelmingly approved the city to sell bonds for the construction of a multipurpose center.
Very few people voted, as usual in Mason City because most have given up because the city just does what it wants, especially under Bookmeyer. But this is not what was voted for and what happened to the millions from the state or the millions from MCY Hockey? And now whats with this added park and walkways, what will that cost? The City does NOT take care of any city parks or property now!!! Everyone I talk to supports a hockey rink but want it to stay at the Event Center location. Mo Money, Mo Money!
You should go back and look at the ballot. I agree with you the city sold it as money from the state and the entire Renaissance project but in reality the only thing the voters voted on the was giving the city permission to sell 20 year bonds to pay for and build a multipurpose arena.
So you’re saying the mayor, administrator, council and staff LIED to us? I AGREE!
^^ Yep, That is pretty Much what I am saying.
as part of a TOTAL PACKAGE that is not even close to what was voted on…your fragmenting dude
The voters never voted on a “Total Package” They voted on obligation bonds to build a multipurpose arena and that is it.
The rest of the “package” is in private hands
You, like most NIT readers, are really confused with the facts. Voters overwhelming approved a ballot measure to issue general obligation bonds for the construction of a multi purpose arena. The ballot language read nearly identical to this. General obligation bonds by their very nature are backed by the full faith and credit of the city. The city could have issued TIF bonds (which are not backed by the full faith and credit of the city), but Max Weaver and his coalition of curmudgeons petitioned the city, requiring them to use general obligation bonds to construct this facility. So if you are upset about the debt structure, you have Weaver and friends to thank for that.
The general obligation bonds for the multi purpose arena are to be be repaid by TIF dollars and state sales and hotel tax rebates. This is why the city is so interested in the hotel (which is PRIVATE investment). The hotel will contribute both sales and hotel taxes to the debt service of the multi purpose arena. Again, this is PRIVATE investment and you don’t get to vote on what a private investor does with their money.
This was and is 100% about Mason City Youth Hockey. They make out like bandits and have yet to “show MC the money”.