Huntingburg Senior Center moves forward with contract award

The city’s long-promised senior center is finally becoming a reality as the Huntingburg Common Council approved a $1.07 million bid from Seufert Construction to renovate the maintenance facility on the St. Joseph’s Hospital property at Tuesday’s meeting.

Seufert’s was the lone bid for the contract, though the city did contact other companies to solicit bids.

According to Mayor Neil Elkins, the project has been a long time coming.

“I think it is important that we continue this project forward,” Mayor Elkins said. “We’ve promised seniors for about 15 years now that we’re going to have a senior center.”

Currently, senior center activities are held in the Old Town Hall.

Elkins noted the approved bid on the center is lower than earlier estimates for a new building, which was in the $1.5-$1.6 million range. He also explained that reusing a building not originally constructed for occupancy has inflated the estimate for the project.

“The building has no utilities and presently was not constructed in a manner to be occupied,” Elkins said, adding that he wasn’t necessarily in support of this location but with the developments on the remaining portion of the hospital and upcoming improvements to the area, he had changed his mind.

In addition to the renewed parking lot for the hospital, Elkins noted developers were considering the area to construct duplexes for seniors.

“I think it’s a more viable option now, and seniors are excited about it,” Elkin said.

Improvements to the building, besides adding utilities, include significant structural improvements, such as reshoring and replacing floor joists with more substantial materials. The renovated facility will feature an office, a gathering area, and two restrooms. The basement will be used for storage, and exterior grading will address flooding issues.

The project will be funded through a combination of sources, including $472,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and additional money from Tax Increment Financing (TIF) in the northwest and northeast areas of the city.

Elkins told the council that time is of the essence for the project, as the ARPA funds must be under contract by the end of the year, or they will be forfeited.

The council’s approval authorizes the mayor and clerk-treasurer to execute a construction contract, subject to legal approval. The contract is expected to be finalized within a week, following a review by the city attorney and the posting of proper bonds by the contractor.

While the approved bid covers the basic construction, it does not include fixtures or furnishings. The city is looking for donations to cover these additional costs, that include business equipment, kitchen appliances and furniture, estimated at around $50,000.