The only bid for Indianola's downtown streetscape project came in $2.7 million over budget, potentially bringing progress on the city's facelift for the downtown Square to a halt.
City Manager Ryan Waller said the $9,645,509.80 bid, submitted by Absolute Concrete Inc., was the only bid submitted before the deadline. The original engineer's estimate for construction was $6,877,765.10.
He said Indianola City Council will hold a public hearing on the bid Monday.
Charlie Dissell, the director of Indianola Economic and Community Development, said city staff would also recommend the council drop plans to solicit an alternate bid that would cost an estimated $700,000 more because of the already high bid on the initial work. Dissell said the alternate bid would have extended the streetscape's infrastructure improvements north of the Square on Buxton and Howard streets.