Santa Maria Sun / News

Lompoc City Council gives new community center the go-ahead

BY AMY ASMAN

After several years of uncertainty, Lompoc is finally getting a new community center. And now it will bear the name of longtime mayor and city advocate Dick DeWees, who passed away last year.

On Aug. 17, the Lompoc City Council authorized city staffers to award construction and management contracts to two different companies. They also approved the center’s new name: The Dick DeWees Community and Senior Center.

Construction on the center, to be located at 1110 and 1120 W. Ocean Ave., is expected to begin on Sept. 27, according to city officials. A completion date is set for July 24, 2011.

In 2006, the City Council approved a property exchange with the Lompoc Healthcare District that resulted in the relocation of the Lompoc Valley Community Center. For almost two years, city staffers searched for a new facility, until finding the vacant retail property on West Ocean Avenue.

Bidding over the project proved to be somewhat contentious, but the city ultimately awarded contracts to AWI Builders Inc. of Vernon and Harris & Associates of Concord, both of California.

When asked why a local company wasn’t awarded the construction bid, senior civil engineer Michael Luther said: “We’re a public entity. We have to award the contract to the lowest bidder. Even if it’s $5 less, we still have to award it to the lowest bidder.”

According to city documents, AWI Builders Inc. bid approximately $3.6 million on the project. Santa Maria-based Vernon Edwards Constructors bid close to $4 million, and San Luis Obispo-based Carroll Building Co. bid $4.03 million.

The project will be paid for with Community Development Block Grant and tax allocation funds.

Design-wise, the 15,000-square-foot facility will be upgraded to include classrooms, a commercial kitchen and dining room, and office space. The center will serve community members of all ages, with some special features for seniors.

“It’s a one-stop shopping and service center,” said Dan McCaffrey, director of the city’s Parks, Recreation, and Urban Forestry Department. “It’s going to be a tremendous resource to the community.”

For more information about the center, visit the city of Lompoc website at ci.lompoc.ca.us.