Columbia County bans contractor for future bids

Columbia County commissioners on Tuesday banned a Miami-based contractor from bidding on any county construction projects.

Tran Construction Inc. cannot bid on projects until it settles litigation with the county and completes late projects, officials decided.

Last month, county officials decided to sue Tran Construction for not paying the bid bond on a water line project.

The company initially won the nearly $1.89 million bid to install water lines along Hereford Farm Road. But Tran executives did not comply with the bid in a timely manner, and the county sought compensation in the form of a bid bond. The bid bond requires Tran to pay the county 10 percent of the bid or cover the difference between their bid and the next lowest bidder, whichever is least expensive, officials said.

Tran currently is about six weeks behind on the construction of a retaining wall for the county's Fleet Management division.

Also during the meeting, commissioners retracted an economic incentive award to further develop an Evans shopping center. In January, the commission approved a $600,000 economic incentive grant to Collet & Associates for intersection improvements as part of the second construction phase for Mullins Crossing.

Developers had announced that Hobby Lobby intended to anchor the second phase of the development. But Hobby Lobby has since decided to locate in the former Ashley Furniture store at the Augusta Exchange shopping center.

Since Hobby Lobby removed itself as a possible anchor, construction on a second development phase has stalled, county officials said.

The incentive was awarded based on anticipated tax revenues a Hobby Lobby might have generated, according to county documents. Collett & Associates may again ask for the incentive once a new tenant has been named, according to the documents.

Reach Donnie Fetter at (706) 868-1222, ext. 115, or donnie.fetter@augustachronicle.com.