Construction company suing Richland County over Shop Road project

A local construction company is suing Richland County because, it says, the county awarded a contract for the Shop Road extension project to the company with the highest, instead of lowest, budget.

The plaintiff, Richardson Construction Co. of Columbia, says it was the lowest bidder for the project by $3 million but made what it considers a minor mistake in its bid that caused the county not to consider the company for the job. Richardson’s complaint was filed Thursday in the Richland County Court of Common Pleas.

County administrator Gerald Seals has told County Council the county’s procurement laws do not require the county to allow bidders to correct errors in bids once the bids have been opened.

Seals and transportation director Rob Perry deemed Richardson’s bid ineligible because of its mistake in identifying a small, local business subcontractor. The next lowest bidder for the project, C.R. Jackson Inc., also was deemed ineligible because it did not meet set goals for having small, local business participate as subcontractors.

County Council, then, voted this month to award a $24.5 million contract to McClam & Associates for the work to extend Shop Road one mile from Pineview Road to Longwood Road.

“The county procurement ordinance allows a 10-day period after notification of the intent of the county to award a contract,” county spokeswoman Beverly Harris said Friday. “Contractors have a right to protest the award.”

This story was originally published December 16, 2016 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Construction company suing Richland County over Shop Road project."