And the winner is . . .

LGS Plumbing Inc. of Crown Point.

At a special meeting Thursday, the Chesterton Redevelopment Commission voted 5-0 to award the contract for the Ind. 49 utility corridor project to low-bidder LGS.

That total contract price of $2,880,865 includes both the base bid and the so-called Alternate 1, under the latter of which the sanitary sewer infrastructure will be upsized to service property along Ind. 49 in unincorporated Liberty Township.

On Monday, the Porter County Council voted 5-2 to use CEDIT funds to pay for Alternative 1, at a cost of $742,409. The county could recoup at least two-thirds of that amount through the application of a special connection fee to property owners in unincorporated Liberty Township who tap into the sanitary sewer system.

The next lowest bid was $2,938,716.70, submitted by Grimmer Construction Inc. of Highland.

Contracted project engineer Jeff Ban took a moment on Thursday to introduce LGS President Larry Smith, who has vowed “it will be the best job he’s ever done,” Ban said.

“Thank you for the opportunity,” Smith told the commission.

Members also voted 5-0 to enter into a contract with DLZ to provide full-time construction management and site inspection services, at a price of $187,960.

Finally, Town Attorney Chuck Lukmann reported that, earlier in the day, the $2 million bond issue had closed and that the proceeds are in the commission’s account. “So we feel comfortable entering into a contract at this time,” Lukmann said.

The basic concept of the project is the extension of sanitary sewer, stormwater, water, and fiber optic infrastructure south under the Indiana Toll Road, across Ind. 49 to the west side, and then down to the town’s southernmost corporate limit. Under Alternate 1, the sanitary sewer infrastructure installed will be of sufficient capacity to serve unincorporated property owners.

Town officials hope that the trans-Toll Road infrastructuring will open the area to commercial development.

“Four years and a month and a half,” said Member Sharon Darnell. “We’ve always had the same message. And we’re happy everyone’s on board.”

“It was totally a team effort,” added Member Jeff Trout, who specifically singled out Ban, Utility Board President Larry Brandt, Porter County Commis-sioner John Evans, and Porter County Council Member Laura Blaney for making this “a regionally successful project.”

“It’s amazing what you can accomplish when nobody gets the credit,” Member Jim Ton observed.

Posted 8/3/2012