About $11 million in subcontracting bid packages for the big Spokane Convention Center expansion project have been awarded to several companies here that will lay the ground work for the centers planned new exhibit hall.


The Spokane Public Facilities District says that some of the site-preparation work on the $79.4 million expansion project is expected to be under way by later this month and will be completed by early November.


Were pretty much on schedule, says Kevin Twohig, executive director of the PFD. We hope to be done with (site-preparation work called for in) bid package three before the first snow hits the ground.


The largest chunk of the site work, an $8.4 million contract to do structural concrete, was awarded to Bouten Construction Co., of Spokane. Bouten also is one of two companies, with Hoffman Construction Co., of Portland, in a joint venture that is the general construction manager on the project.


Other contracts in the site-preparation bid package covered excavation and backfill, subsurface drainage, and roughing in of structural plumbing, fire protection, and electrical systems.


Half Moon Construction & Leasing Inc., of Colbert, will perform utility site work for about $1.7 million, as well as a $309,000 contract to build a stormwater outfall system and do demolition work. A paving bid for about $400,000 went to Shamrock Paving Co., of Spokane. About $70,000 in electrical systems work will be performed by Power City Electric Inc., of Spokane. Lance Pounder Excavation Inc., of Spokane, will excavate the site for $83,000.


Before any extensive work on the exhibit hall site can begin, Half Moon will demolish a building there that was occupied by Azteca, a Mexican restaurant. The PFD recently bought that property for about $4 million, and Azteca plans to move across the street to the former Mustard Seed building.


The remaining subcontractor work on the exhibit hall, about $30.5 million worth, will be awarded through a bid package that will include steel work, complete mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work, and exterior and interior finishing work. Hoffman-Bouten will accept bids on those parts of the overall project beginning Oct. 25, and will issue contracts in December. The first parts of that work are scheduled to start in early January.


In addition, about $5 million worth of jobs will be put out to bid next spring for subcontractors that will renovate current Convention Center space.


The convention center expansion was designed by Integrus Architecture PS, of Spokane, and LMN Architects, of Seattle. It will include 100,000 square feet of new exhibit hall space.


The speedboat-shaped structure will be located east of the current convention facilities.


Of the $79.4 million in overall project cost, construction costs are expected to be no more than $55.8 million, says Twohig.


Thats the ceiling, he says. It cant go any higher than that.