The Louisiana Office of Facility Planning and Control unsealed bids Tuesday for construction of an 86,000-square-foot Center for Excellence in Auto Technology that will be one of the cornerstones of Ardendale, the 200-acre urban village redevelopment project near Mid City that is being spearheaded by the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority.
Nine contractors submitted bids to construct the automotive training center, which will be part of Baton Rouge Community College’s new east campus at Ardendale. Ratcliff Construction Co., a 78-year-old Alexandria-based firm with offices in Baton Rouge, appears to have been the low bidder at $14.1 million, according to the OFPC bid tabulation sheet. A spokeswoman for the Division of Administration, however, says it’s too soon to confirm Ratcliff will be awarded the contract because the bids are currently under advisement.
“We will announce the contract award by the end of the month and expect to have contracts in place by the middle of December, with construction starting early next year,” says department spokeswoman Meghan Parrish. —Stephanie Riegel
