Robert E. McKee of El Paso and Dallas was awarded the general construction contract for Lubbock County's $1,200,000 seven-story courthouse, shown here in 1950 with construction materials in front.

Contracts awarded for $1.2 millon courthouse

1949 Robert E. McKee of El Paso and Dallas was awarded the general construction contract for Lubbock County's $1,200,000 seven-story courthouse building at 2:05 o'clock this afternoon.

The motion carried with one dissenting vote, Commissioner R.O. Short opposed the motion.

The vote followed a morning-long session.

The difficult and complex question had been discussed since the bid opening at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon.

W.G. McMillan of Lubbock had submitted the low base bid of $833,293. McKee's base bid was $840,000.

However, McKee's bid specified a time of 360 days, which was later shortened to 330 days, and McMillan's bid specified a time of 550 days, which he shortened this morning to 425 days.

McKee's bid had included use of Indiana limestone from Bloomington, Ind., and McMillan this morning offered to use that stone for an additional $10,287, plus seven percent, plus one percent, which would have made his bid $4,698 higher, using Indiana limestone, the commissioners figured.

The final contract figure will depend on which alternates the court accepts. Use of aluminum windows instead of steel will reduce the cost by some $6,000 and one or two other deductive alternates will probably bring the cost down still further.

McMillan appeared before the court to answer questions and give cost estimates on the use of Indiana limestone, as well as to offer the 425-day limit change.

Robert E. McKee Jr., did not appear before the court. He had returned to Dallas after appearing Thursday afternoon.

Two motions were made to award the contract this morning, but neither was seconded and neither was voted on.

At 10:40 a.m. commissioner R.O. Short made a motion to award the job to McMillan and select another type of stone other than the Leuders stone which McMillan had figured in his base bid.

The motion was discussed, but not seconded or voted on.

At 11:25 commissioner Pat Corley made a motion to accept the bid of McKee. That motion, too, was neither seconded nor voted on and discussion continued.

Shortly before noon a delegation representing Clowe and Cowan and the Samson company, low base bidders on the heating, air conditioning and plumbing appeared before the court and protested award of the contract to Anthony company on an alternate bid, submitting that the second company was not in a position to figure the base bid. No action was taken.