Mayor and Aldermen approve bid for animal shelter, awards project to Fordice

After postponing bids to allow more time for submissions, Vicksburg’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen awarded the project to Fordice Construction Co. of Vicksburg.

On Tuesday, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved Fordice’s bid of $1,263,700. The bid includes an extra project for $10,800 to install lights in the parking lot.

In total, the project is expected to cost about $1.3 million, roughly $300,000 below the $1.67 million budget.

In December, the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen delayed the second bid opening for the new animal shelter project. According to Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs, Jr., the delay was at the recommendation of Community Development Director Jeff Richardson. Flaggs stated the first of the year was a bad time to receive bids and waiting would give bidders more time.

In August, the Board voted to approve advertising for bids for the new Vicksburg Animal Shelter facility, allowing the project to move forward.

Bids were readvertised in late November with changes that were expected to bring the bids more in budget with earlier cost projections.

The new animal shelter facility is planned to be located on Highway 61 South on the lot next to Mid-South Lumber. The building to be used for the new facility was graciously donated to the City of Vicksburg by Earnest Thomas before his death.