FORT SMITH, Ark. (TB&P) —The Fort Smith Port Authority is ready to begin construction on buildings damaged during record flooding of the Arkansas River in May.
The authority signed a construction manager as constructor contract with Cameron Hubbs Construction, Inc. at a special meeting Monday (Dec. 2) to rebuild two warehouse, an office building, parking and a truck scale at the Port of Fort Smith. An exact dollar amount or maximum price was not set.
Both parties, the authority and Cameron Hubbs, president of Cameron Hubbs Construction, agreed they could come back after the first of the year and set a maximum cost point after the all insurance monies the city will receive for property damaged in the flooding has been properly distributed. The estimated insurance payout is between $2.7 million and 2.9 million said Deputy City Administrator Jeff Dingman, though the city could receive FEMA funds that would add to that amount.
“We can go ahead and get started on the dirt work, utility work and site work,” Hubbs said. “A contract will allow me to start phasing the work. There are some items we’ve got to do no matter what. … The final price might determine how much paving we do.”
What is known is that two 30,000-square -feet warehouses and a stand-alone office building will need to be constructed to replace ones damaged in the flooding. The new buildings will occupy the footprint of the old ones and join a third warehouse that was not damaged at the port.
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