Contracts were awarded Wednesday for the first phase of a project that will eventually lead to a new seventh and eighth grade center for Kingfisher Public Schools.

Board of education members voted unanimously at a special meeting to approve four bids for what is deemed the high school paving project totaling just under $1.1 million. With other fees added, the project will cost $1,255,098.

MMS Construction, owned by Shawn Scammahorn of Kingfi sher, was awarded the project with his bid of $912,000.

Bids were opened Jan. 8, but were reviewed by Joe D. Hall General Contractors, the project manager, prior to offering recommendations at Wednesday’s meeting.

When bids were requested, the base bid was for asphalt and an alternate bid for concrete.

Twelve total bids were received.

“That’s a record for a Joe D. Hall project in terms of competition,” said Van Storm, who represented the fi rm at the meeting.

Seven of the bids were for asphalt, the lowest of which was $909,000 by Bishop Paving Company of Oklahoma City.

The MMS Construction bid for concrete was just $3,000 more.

“I was shocked the concrete price was so close,” Storm said, noting he expected asphalt to be at least $150,000 cheaper.

“Timing is everything,” he added.

Lopp Construction of Stillwater had the lowest initial concrete bid at $831,643, but the project manager requested to withdraw it from consideration because it wasn’t complete.

“This is why we go over them fi rst,” Storm said. “But we were really happy with the results.”

Storm added that board members just had to decide on a preference of “concrete vs. asphalt.”

Mike Copeland made the motion to accept the bids that included the concrete work. It was seconded by Charles Walker and also approved by Jim Perdue, Dana Golbek and Carly Franks.

Other bids were accepted from:

• Sooner WP for joint sealants, $21,210;

• Wee Construction Company for utilities, $55,185;

• Above All Electrical Solutions for electric, $48,500.

The total amount approved also included $30,733 for bond/liability/ builder’s risk; $22,373 for project contingency; and $114,100 for a construction management fee.

Storm said work on this phase of the project should begin in February.

“The goal is to be done by graduation in May,” he said.

The new parking lot is necessary because the seventh and eighth grade center will be built where the current parking lot for the APB and high school students is located.

In order to replace the lost parking area, the new lot will be built on the west side of the high school.

Kingfisher voters in September passed a $16.75 million bond issue for the project to move forward.