Two firms vie for $5 million contract to renovate Bradenton marina

American Bridge, a $450 million a year company, and Speeler and Associates, a $15 million a year company, are vying against each other for the Twin Dolphin Marina renovation contract. Representatives from the two companies gave presentations to the Twin Dolphin selection committee on Thursday.

“This project is on a smaller scale, but fits into the wheelhouse of projects that we specialize in,” said Mark Bell, a vice president at Chicago-based American Bridge.

Speeler and Associates are based in Pinellas County.

While the two companies are separated in size and stature of projects, Jeff Nasse, of Speeler and Associates, said, “We are just as, if not more qualified, as American Liberty to do this job. We don’t go to the Caribbean, our focus is in the Tampa area.”

The Twin Dolphin project has about a $5 million budget and almost $1 million is being funded through grants pursued by the city because the city owns the marina. The marina is operated privately by the Don Miller Development Co., which also owns the Pier 22 restaurant. Hugh Miller, owner and operator of the restaurant and marina, is funding the remainder of the project.

The dock manufacturer will receive $1.6 million of the overall budget and that contract has already been awarded. American Bridge submitted a bid for $3.9 million while Speeler’s bid is $3.6 million. Both bids put the project over budget, but both companies pointed out shortfalls in the RFP specifications that could potentially save a lot of money.

Miller said once a company is selected, a meeting between the chosen developer, the dock manufacturer and others could look more closely at cost-cutting measures.

“We still have a lot of work to do,” Miller said. “The big part of the project is to figure out how to get it done within budget. They came up with ideas that are helpful, but we are not going to sacrifice on quality or sacrifice on the size and scope.”

The scope of work includes reconfiguring the eastern part of the marina with 129 new slips and updating the floating docks with full amenities to accommodate larger vessels. Existing slips, many of which have been closed for months, will be demolished and replaced. The marina will be dredged and the western half of the marina will be renovated and upgraded, as well.

The selection committee, consisting of city and marina staff, began scoring the two presentations on Thursday. Miller said he did not know how long that process would take and could not provide a hopeful time table for construction.

The Twin Dolphin Marina project is considered to be a crucial part of several downtown projects that will change the landscape of downtown Bradenton.

This story was originally published December 8, 2016 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Two firms vie for $5 million contract to renovate Bradenton marina."