COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) - Columbus Mayor Robert Smith says local officials are looking for other options to renovate the Trotter Convention Center.
The Commercial Dispatch reports (https://bit.ly/1my2iEr ) that Smith made the announcement when bids for the work were more than double the $1.65 million renovation budget.
The city opened bids earlier this month. The lowest bid was $3.37 million.
The city borrowed $2 million from the Mississippi Development Bank to finance the project last August. It planned to pay loans and interest back with fees Columbus Light & Water will pay in lieu of property taxes over a 15-20 year period.
Officials say they’ve spoken with contractors but are not sure specifically what contributed to the high bids.
Smith says no more moves will be made until he discusses alternatives with councilmen.
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Information from: The Commercial Dispatch, https://www.cdispatch.com
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