Who will build Delridge Skatepark? Contractor controversy

| Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

That’s the final design for the long-awaited Delridge Skatepark, for which groundbreaking was anticipated soon, since bids came in two weeks ago (as reported here), with two bids below the original $505,000 estimate. The second-lowest was $502,000 from the West Seattle company that designed it (as a subcontractor), Grindline. But the low bidder, TF Sahli Construction ($413,000), may not meet the qualifications – and therein lies the controversy. West Seattle skatepark advocate and city Skate Park Advisory Committee (SPAC) member Matthew Lee Johnston has been covering this closely on the citywide website he keeps, SeattleSkateparks.org. On Tuesday, Johnston wrote this item openly critical of the low bidder and the construction process for the Seattle skatepark Sahli recently built, Lower Woodland. Today, he wrote a followup, suggesting that Parks has determined that Sahli did not meet the qualifications but would seek to re-bid the project instead of giving the contract to the 2nd-lowest bidder. That report drew concern from one North Delridge neighborhood leader who has long helped marshal support for the project, Nancy Folsom, who wrote a letter to Parks Department manager Kevin Stoops (as have Johnston and 2 other SPAC members) saying in part:

I urge you to reconsider. I’m sure you have only the best interest of the budget in mind, but a contract that seems cheap up front can end up costing far more in the long run. This will be a major city feature for many years. I will have to leave across the street from it. Let’s make it something that we’re all proud of. I don’t want to regret encouraging my neighbors to support the park and process.

We checked with Parks to see if the re-bidding report is true. Project manager Kelly Davidson was unavailable, but spokesperson Joelle Hammerstad tells WSB that Sahli has been given “until close of business today” to submit “additional documentation” regarding its qualifications – in particular, she mentioned, having to “have built six 15,000-square-foot or larger skateparks in the past six years.” So what happens if Sahli does not submit documentation confirming that? we asked. Parks has the discretion, according to Hammerstad, to either give the contract to the next lowest bidder (Grindline) or to re-bid. Since Monday is a furlough day for the division working on the project, we won’t know anything more before Tuesday – but this issue is certain to come up at SPAC’s next monthly meeting, which happens to be Monday night at Parks HQ downtown, 7 pm.

marty October 8, 2010 (5:45 pm)

Amazing! Our parks department can’t handle the bidding process on a simple project…

Bill October 8, 2010 (7:58 pm)

Grindline was a sub-consultant during the design? That leaves the landscape architect from out of the state as the prime consultant? Which allowed grindline to submit as the prime contractor… Shady, but qualified and the came 3k under their own estimate…

M October 8, 2010 (8:34 pm)

Hmm something smells here…

Rebid this thing…

TW October 8, 2010 (8:36 pm)

Grindline has two devisions-designing and building. I wonder if people are aware that Grindline is a local, W Seattle company that is the PREMIER skate park designer/builder. The have in the past and continue to build parks all over the world. We have the rare luxury of having our neighbors build a park that they will ride almost daily. Cut the BS and award them the contract. Low bid doesn’t meen best.

BH October 8, 2010 (10:39 pm)

Fine if you’re a fan of Grindline, but bashing Tom Sahli isn’t the way to go. I worked for a place that hired him; he’s a true professional. The ‘piece’ written on seattleskateparks.org only perpetuates the stereotype that skaters are ill-mannered, immature idiots. Really, posting a picture of a local business man (he’s from Burien) and saying he ‘built a bunch of crap’ doesn’t make it true and is needlessly slanderous. He’s built dozens of parks, many that were on very tight budgets where he was the only bidder that would/could do it. As for the claim that he ‘had to be babysat’; please. Every project has a budget. Not every budget has room for the time and manpower it takes to make every fancy curve you think you deserve; especially when a lot of non-skating taxpayers are footing the bill. It’s called the bottom line. Look into it.

dsa October 9, 2010 (2:13 am)

“having to “have built six 15,000-square-foot or larger skateparks in the past six years.”

That qualification sounds like an attempt to disqualify competent contractors in favor of someone special.

TW October 9, 2010 (7:37 am)

Im sure he’s a great contractor with lots of experience, but skate parks are a unique, extremely difficult project to pull off. Special tools, etc. I think you are missing the point in showing a pic of him standing vs the guy skating: hands on experience. Before, during and after the build. Grindline isn’t a bunch if kids, they are all growed up. So am I. I’m 44 and want a quality park for my son to ride. These qualifications to bid are standard in the industry, not an attempt to steer the project to a specific builder. I don’t care who builds it as long as we get max bang for our buck. I just thought West Seattle people would be excited about a truly local company involved in a local project. Look @ grindline’s website, look what they have accomplished. www. Grindline.com

MLJ October 9, 2010 (7:54 am)

BH should read the letter here http://seattleskateparks.org/?p=1128 for a more mature, comprehensive education on the difference between a sidewalk and a Skatepark, and how the bottom line extends well beyond the day the park is completed. This community deserves the best product it can get for the money it helped lobby for.
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As for whether or not the qualifications are too stringent, we gathered similar RFQs from municipalities all over the U.S. and Canada that use similar or identical requirements.
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Skatepark construction has evolved greatly over the last 10 years. Firms like Sahli that used to produce acceptable results to a “customer” with no better point of reference are not keeping up with the state of the art, and so their products are outdated.
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If you really care, read the letter.

Bill October 9, 2010 (9:29 am)

If Grindline loses the bid, let’s just hope that they stick around and administer the construction as the clients (Parks) representative. It’s not always the contractor’s fault, but the responsibility of the designer to ensure that their vision is properly executed. They must develop a set of plans that properly directs the contractor to build these special angles, curves,textures, etc…

Great the project is in Grindline’s backyard, so they should have no problem visiting the site on a regular basis.

This is a competetive market, so I have seen contractor’s go way below the owner’s estimate. Yes, they do try to make up the money during construction – but if you have a solid design and specifications then you wouldn’t leave openings for them to request more money i.e. change orders.

MLJ October 9, 2010 (1:05 pm)

I totally agree Bill, that this option is the next best thing. However, I feel that it’s a little unfair to ask a firm to share it’s trade secrets with a competitor, and unlikely we will get the same quality out of that scenario.

bridge to somewhere October 9, 2010 (1:19 pm)

@TW: just out of curiousity, do you have a personal relationship to anyone at Grindline, or do you have some financial relationship to the company?

Billy October 10, 2010 (10:24 am)

@BH – Out of curiosity, where did you work that hired the Sahli firm?

Didn’t Sahli build all three of the Kent parks? If so, I’ll give it to them for improving with each one but at the same time, they set the bar pretty low from the beginning.

Also, I think something has to be untrue in order to be slanderous. While the use of the word ‘crap’ may have been unfortunate, I’d have to say that sentiment has been voiced about a number of Sahli parks by skaters and is not an unfounded opinion. Let’s just say they’ve built a number of skateparks of inferior quality, instead.

TW October 10, 2010 (11:59 am)

@bridge to somewhere: I have two friends from the snowboard world that work @ Grindline. I have NO financial interests with them at all. I skate, but I suck. Will i be hitting the park daily? No. Will I go there & take photos? Yes. I have taken skate photos for years, and great parks bring great skaters. And in turn, they help produce some unbelieveable photos. The skill involved is beyond comprehention to the average Joe. I watched skaters build a park by hand down in Portland, OR…Burnside Bridge. Look it up, been there for 20 years. The time, energy and dedication skaters put into their art (yes, I said art!) is a great indication of their character. Some skaters are immature, some are dedicated, mature young men & women. ( Look up Shawn White,2X Olympic Gold Medalist in Snowboarding AND X Games Gold skater) Skateboarding is probably the next Olympic Summer sport we are going to see. So Im not just plugging Grindline or any specific company. If Grindline doesnt build this park, they will be busy designing & building other parks. My friends are going to Belgium for 6 months to build a park-seems like they could have found a European builder easy enough, but the are importing good ol’ USA know-how. Listen to the skaters, if the majority say a park builder needs to improve their craft….they are probably right.

TW October 10, 2010 (12:07 pm)

And for the record, I have been in the building trades for 23 years. Im an Union Electrician ( not much electrical in skate park building unfortunately). I am well aware of the bidding process, change orders and budgets. Every company tries to come in as low as possible, then make up the margins in change orders & extras. $70k below the next highest bidder usually would mean they have forgotten or miscalculated labor/materials. Just my experience working for a company that did $150 million dollars a year worth of work for almost 10 years. ( Look up Microsoft West Campus Expandtion). I like to think I dont just spout off on these blogs without something relevant to say, just my humble opinion.

TW October 10, 2010 (2:08 pm)

Waiting for the spelling police to knock on my door. I know, spellcheck. I deserve the slams…..

bridge to somewhere October 11, 2010 (9:59 am)

@TW: thanks for the explanation. it’s good to know people’s perspectives when they offer a vigorous defense of a particular contractor; as the public would will pay for this venture, it’s important that we watch out for nepotism.

Sorry, comment time is over.