Army Corps of Engineers awards Wares Creek contract

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports it has negotiated a contract for the dredging of Wares Creek. The total bid amount and the winning contractor have not yet been announced.

Army Corps Project Manager Emilio Gonzalez said the bid was awarded under a Small Business Administration program intended to provide assistance to economically and/or socially disadvantaged business owners.

“We've been trying to do this for years and we were finally able to successfully negotiate the contract,” Gonzalez says in a press release. “You'll see things happening and equipment mobilizing by the end of June. There are a lot of things that have to be done upfront, but this is very exciting.”

Gonzalez said the contract will be awarded on the week of May 23. After that, the contractor typically gives a notice to proceed one month later. If that timetable holds true, the project could begin by the end of June or early July.

The federal government will pay for $21.2 million of the $45.5 million project. Southwest Florida Water Management District will match the $11 million Manatee County is paying. The city of Bradenton will use a Department of Environmental Protection grant to reimburse Manatee County for up to $1 million.