This photo showcases a portion of a blueprint page depicting the soon-to-be constructed facility for a farmers market in Glasgow. The front end of this facility is designed to face West Main Street. Melinda J. Overstreet from Glasgow News 1 brings us this update.

Competitive Bidding for the Farmers Market Facility

Six companies vied for the opportunity to construct a 3,600-square-foot farmers market facility in Glasgow. This facility would serve as a home for the Bounty of the Barrens, regardless of the season or other events on the Glasgow Public Square. One bid stood out as considerably lower than the rest. City engineer and superintendent Jim McGowan stated that this doesn't guarantee the contract. He and other city officials, along with Precision Engineering from Tompkinsville (who developed the project plans and bid specifications), will meticulously examine all bid packages opened at Glasgow City Hall on Tuesday afternoon. This ensures nothing is missing and that all necessary requirements are met before a decision is made. McGowan expects to have a notice of award ready by the end of next week. The bid deadline was originally set for last Thursday but was extended. Thursday, McGowan informed that all plan holders (companies that requested copies and indicated intent to bid) received addendums throughout the bidding process to address questions and provide clarifications. A third addendum was distributed digitally on November 19, providing a more detailed building description. This "cracked down on specifics" and ensured companies knew what was required. The extension aimed to give potential contractors time to check with materials suppliers. As of the original Thursday deadline, one bid was received but was returned as the deadline was extended. On Tuesday, Glasgow's finance officer Madi Griffin opened the bids in the presence of Precision Engineering representatives, bidder representatives, McGowan, and other city employees. As each bid was opened, Griffin read the company name and checked for details and tabulated figures before announcing the total bid amount. Five bids were in the range of nearly $1.3 million to nearly $1.6 million. The outlier was a $779,000 bid from Concentric Corp. of America (doing business as Staco Building Co. and based in London, KY), which had submitted the sole bid last week. After Griffin read the amount, the package was handed to McGowan for review. Project manager Tucker England expressed appreciation for the companies' interest, and McGowan thanked those present. He was pleased with the number of bids and hoped to end up with the lowest bid, which is relatively close to Precision Engineering's estimate compared to the others. Kathy McGuire, director of business development with Precision, emphasized the need to carefully review the bids due to the significant difference in amounts. McGowan added that they would check references, especially for less familiar companies.The city obtained grant funds for at least a portion of the construction. Grant writer/administrator and city administrator April Russell stated that the Kentucky agriculture development grant application required financial support from ag development boards in the vendor counties (Barren, Allen, and Hart counties). Allen County provided $2,500, Hart County contributed $10,000, and Barren County's board put in $70,000. After a summer presentation and vote, the city was awarded a $250,000 grant and has to match this amount. Plan holders were provided with a blueprint showing the building's appearance and positioning. McGowan expects a more easily digestible rendering without technical information to be drawn up by the architect and released in the next few weeks.The new home for the farmers market will be on Glasgow City-owned property along the 400 block of West Main Street, between the post office and a relocated Ford Drive and a justice center to be constructed next year for Barren County. The city will lease the facility to Sustainable Glasgow, which manages the Bounty of the Barrens Farmers Market. The blueprint calls for the "front" of the building to face West Main Street and the back to face West Water Street. The building is centered within the block, with the current entrance off West Water. Another entrance from Ford Drive shown on the blueprint may be added later. One addendum called for leaving it out for now. Looking at the design from the front or back, the overall shape resembles some barns, with a taller, open-loft center section and shorter side extensions. One side extension is a covered porch extending the full length, while the other is enclosed. The taller center section, viewed from the front and back, has a regular double door flanked by garage-type doors. The porch side has a single regular door in the center and two garage-type doors on each side. The opposite longer side, facing the post office, has only a single regular door. The west-facing "side extension" is designated for bathrooms, with a single door for handicapped-accessible parking.