The City of Hickory has twice advertised for bids to build the Historic Ridgeview Walk project, but has received only one bid each time. On Tuesday (May 19), Hickory City Council voted to reject a bid from Neill Grading & Construction Company, Inc. in the amount of nearly $10-million ($9,690,591.42). The bid was rejected because it was over the project’s estimated budget of approximately $4.5-million.

The Historic Ridgeview Walk project will tie in to walking and biking paths in Hickory that include the City Walk and Riverwalk. Since the project involves federal funding, the city is prohibited from negotiating with the bidder to lower the cost; therefore, the project will have to be re-bid.

Since the last bidding period, there has been additional interest from contractors. The city anticipates receiving multiple bids during the next round. According to a statement released by City of Hickory Communications Specialist Sarah Killian, city officials anticipate that the competition will help to lower the bid amounts. Once advertised, the new bidding period will be open for four weeks.