MILFORD — City Council on March 2 unanimously approved nearly $900,000 worth of change orders for electrical and asphalt work at the Milford Corporate Center.
Among the authorizations, council advanced a request by George & Lynch of Dover for $693,515 to install electric conduit for all city-required electric lines in the project’s first phase.
The work will also include a bore under Canterbury Road and conduit installation for the Delaware Electric Cooperative under the site’s Canterbury Road entrance.
Staffers with Milford’s Electric Division reviewed the request and found its cost acceptable. City officials had budgeted $800,000 for such electrical installation in the five-year capital improvement plan during fiscal 2025 and ’26.
“Just for clarification, this was not an unforeseen expense,” planning director Rob Pierce told council. “This was a budgeted amount in the capital improvement plan. It just was not included in the original bid contract for George & Lynch.”
In addition, the city has been awarded $5,050,530.26 from the Delaware Department of Transportation’s Transportation Infrastructure Investment Fund for road improvements at the corporate center.
These include construction of an entrance along Milford Harrington Highway; a single-lane roundabout at Airport and Canterbury roads; intersection improvements at Church Hill and Canterbury roads; turn lane extensions at Milford Harrington Highway and Canterbury Road; and asphalt milling and overlay on Canterbury Road, between Milford Harrington Highway and Airport Road.
The Canterbury mill-and-overlay quantities were not in the original bid form, so George & Lynch also requested $200,255 for that work. City staff concluded that conducting this process now will avoid future material and labor cost increases.
“George & Lynch has held their contract bid amount for the quantities needed for the mill and overlay, so they’re not increasing their cost on us,” Mr. Pierce explained.
These expenses were included in the capital improvement plan, as well, and are eligible for TIIF reimbursement upon Phase 1’s completion.
George & Lynch’s adjusted contract amount after the approval of the change orders is $18,884,554.19.