Downtown projects combined for better pricing

To receive discounted construction costs, the city of Sarasota will ask contractors to bid on two downtown projects at once.

One company will be asked to build the roundabout at Five Points, along with the bulb-outs at Main Street and Palm Avenue. The city hopes that by combining the two projects it will receive a lower price than if the two were built separately.

The city will hold a pre-bid meeting Aug. 19 at which contractors can ask about construction requirements, such as a completion deadline. The bids will then be due by Sept. 1. Construction is expected to take about four months.

The bulb-out project is intended to make the intersection of Main and Palm more attractive, with trees, raised planters and sidewalk bulb-outs to make the crosswalks shorter.

Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].