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| Senior center gets builder |
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| Written by John Saiz | Patterson Irrigator | |
| Saturday, 19 July 2008 | |
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“It has everything you could want.” — Curtis Jorritsma Patterson capital projects manager  The look of the future: This view of the future Hammon Senior Center, taken from an artist’s rendering, shows the wall of windows surrounding the dining area. The center will cost the city just more than $3.1 million to build and will have an expanded kitchen, wood ceilings, a veranda and other snazzy features. Courtesy of the city of Patterson The council awarded Modesto-based Titan Structures $3,122,522 to build it, though two other bidders complained about improper procedure. Construction is expected to start in August near the northwestern corner of Ward and Las Palmas avenues. Builders hope to have the space completed by October 2009. “I’m glad we got this thing before I’m a senior,” Councilwoman Annette Smith said. The center will be paid for through bond sales based on homeowner fees. It is named for longtime Patterson residents Ed and Bev Hammon, who died in 2005 after a car crash in rural Patterson. When it opens, the city plans to shut the doors of the old center at 700 F St. The new building will be more spacious, with an expanded kitchen and modern furnishings. The council received 10 bids to build the project. Many came in under budget, which allowed the council to keep features it would have sacrificed if the bids were higher — wood ceilings, a fireplace, palm trees, a veranda, parking on site and drainage. “I would have arm wrestled for (the parking and drainage),” said Adrienne Chaney, parks and recreation director. Turns out she didn’t have to. “It has everything you could want,” said Curtis Jorritsma, Patterson’s capital projects manager. The city has not had such a smooth time with all its projects. In past years, Patterson has had a hard time getting contractors to place bids, while construction costs skyrocketed. “When the housing boom was going on maybe three, four years ago, you’d be lucky to get three or four bids,” Jorritsma said. The council welcomed the increased builder interest and below-budget bids. “Maybe it’s a sign of the times,” Councilman Sam Cuellar said. Two bidders, however, have sent letters to the city stating that it conducted the bid process improperly, though only one was a formal protest. The companies, Fresno-based Davis Moreno Construction and Woodbridge-based Diede Construction, had almost identical complaints. Both said the city did not follow state rules regarding blind bids, because city employees announced which companies had made which bids. City staff’s position is that because the decision-making body did not know the builders' identities, the procedures were sound, Jorritsma said in a report to the council. The rules are in place to ensure that city councils award bids based on price and do not give special treatment to a particular company. Neither complaint accused city employees of trying to do anything underhanded, but both were adamant that the rules had not been followed. “I’m not blaming anyone or saying it was dirty on purpose,” said Rick Hopelian, chief estimator with Davis Moreno Construction, “but it was dirty.”
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