The county will expedite the process of repairing the Grand Forks County Fairgrounds' historic grandstand by not publically bidding the project.
The county will not make a public bid for proposed short-term repairs to the grandstand at River Cities Speedway because the project comes in under the threshold to do so, said Jay Kleven, senior project manager at Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services (AE2S). Forgoing the public bid process will take two weeks off of the process, Kleven said.
AE2S is accepting bids on behalf of Grand Forks County, but the county commissioners will make a decision on what company to give the bid to.
"Let's start the process and get it rolling," County Commissioner Bob Rost said.
Emergency repairs were made to the grandstand over the summer. Kleven estimated the upcoming short-term repairs would cost $85,000. The county will contribute $70,000-$47,000 from the county's parks fund and $23,000 from the county's general fund.
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The fair board committee will put forward $15,000 for the short-term repairs. Cosmetic changes are not part of Kleven's estimate for short-term repairs.
Members of the committee also requested visuals from Kleven so they could to show models to potential donors.
"We want to show donors that it's going to look more like it did than how it does now," said Mark Landa from the fair board.
Kleven said his proposed repairs would not make the grandstand or concession area look much different from they way it does now, all his changes would be structural.
Landa said having pictures or renderings of the grandstand to show potential donors would excite them and make a difference in the amount donated.
The committee decided to table further discussion of visuals until after they talk with Kristi Wilfahrt, who will head up fundraising efforts, at their next meeting set for Feb. 20.
Kleven said the proposed short-term repairs will make the grandstand safe for the 2019 racing season and potentially next year's racing season.
The grandstand was built in the 1930s, and U.S. president Franklin Roosevelt dedicated the grandstand with a speech in 1937. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
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When the grandstand was determined unsafe for use, members of the public wanted to save it and the grandstand committee was formed.
