Reclamation terminates fire station contract

Media Contact: Michael Coffey, 208-378-5020, [email protected]

For Release: March 03, 2021

GRAND COULEE, Wash. - The Bureau of Reclamation announced today that it has terminated the Grand Coulee Fire Station contract with Innovative Construction and Design, a small business out of Post Falls, Idaho. This is the second termination Reclamation has executed for the contract.

The construction contract was originally awarded in 2016 with a period of performance end date of April 30, 2018. The contract was terminated in March 2019. The initial termination was overturned by Reclamation in favor of allowing an approved third-party contractor to take over the project. Ultimately, the third-party contractor was unsuccessful which resulted in the second termination.

The federal government includes terms in its contracts that protect against financial losses in cases where the awarded contractor does not meet its contractual obligations. This protection is provided via performance bonds issued by a second party surety. Reclamation has opened negotiations with ICD's surety to negotiate a mutually agreeable solution to bring the contract to completion. Due to the sensitive nature of the ongoing negotiations, Reclamation is unable to release further details at this time. However, a future press release will be issued when the negotiation details are finalized, and the construction work is authorized to resume.

'The project has been halted until an appropriate path forward can be identified. We anticipate construction will resume in the spring of this year under the direction of the surety and a new contractor,' said Columbia-Pacific Northwest Deputy Regional Director Rob Skordas. 'Reclamation recognizes that it is in the best interest of the U.S. Government and taxpayers to negotiate an agreement with the surety that will result in contract completion, with little or no additional contract costs to the government.'

The 22,000-square-foot fire station will provide space for sleeping, dining, vehicle and equipment storage, meeting/training rooms, offices, and a public reception area. Once completed, the new facility will ensure reliable protection for all of Reclamation facilities and lands and assist local communities and other agencies through mutual aid agreements. The site of the new fire station is located at the west gate to the Grand Coulee Power Office Industrial Area, near the intersection of Highway 155 and B Street.

Grand Coulee Dam was completed in 1941 and is located on the Columbia River about 90 miles northwest of Spokane. It serves as a multipurpose facility providing water for irrigation, hydroelectric power production, flood control, fish and wildlife conservation, and recreation.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.

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