Rocky Mount Today

The Wilson County Commissioners have unanimously approved a $1.27 million bid for a contract to build a new county animal shelter to replace the building that failed a state inspection last year.

The new shelter is intended to give both more space and greater flexibility in how that space can be used compared to the existing county animal shelter.

The existing animal shelter on Airport Drive failed a state inspection in early 2019. Though county maintenance workers have since made repairs in an attempt to bring it into line with state requirements, the failed inspection prompted the commissioners to seek an alternative to the current facility. 

The lowest of eight bids for the project was submitted by R&L Builders & Sons based out of Battleboro. Their bid of $1,274,550 includes both the building and site construction.

The site work will cost approximately $241,000, with the actual building construction accounting for approximately $1 million of the total build cost.

The next closest bid of $1,397,777 was submitted by Turn-Key Contractors.

Robert Bartlett of Bartlett Engineering told the commissioners that R&L Builders & Sons built the EMS North Station in Elm City five years ago, and that the county’s past dealing with them have been positive. 

“We are familiar with them and would expect them to do a good job on this for us,” Bartlett said. 

Commissioner Bill Blackman asked Bartlett how long it would take R&L Builders & Sons to complete the new animal shelter.

If construction starts within the next 30 days, it is possible the building could be finished by February 2021. Bartlett said that it may be completed sooner.

The new shelter site was approved by the commissioners in June and will be near county Solid Waste Services on N.C. 42 East.