The City of Gulf Shores unanimously approved a bid for the construction of a new fire station training tower that came in about $200,000 over the project's estimated budget.

The bid from McInnis Construction, at a total of $772,081.51, was the only bid received for the fire training tower.

To cover the unbudgeted cost, an additional $250,000 from next year's budget is required. These funds will also cover additional props and equipment the fire department will be adding to the training facility.

Clint Colvin, capital projects director for Gulf Shores, said at the Sept. 2 council work session, where the item was first presented before the public, that staff met with the contractor to reduce the cost, but potential savings were limited.

The four-story tower is set to simulate different scenarios to train the fire department for emergency response. The construction project requires heavy welding and a large outdoor staircase made from steel, which Colvin said might have deterred potential additional bidders.

The tower is to be the final component of the Gulf Shores Fire Department Training Facility.

At the Sept. 8 meeting where the project was approved, Councilman Jason Dyken said the city needs to study how to come up with "more legitimate estimates" for projects.

"It is not a unique experience to this project," he said. "We had overruns on the Highway 59 project, the pedestrian bridge, the justice center, all the things that we've designed and had experts tell us their estimated value, and then our bids come back significantly more."

He also said the price of materials has gone up significantly in recent years. Councilman Philip Harris noted how the whole project was essentially made entirely from steel, "which isn't cheap."

Harris asked if the project could be redesigned, and Colvin said then the city would face redesign costs with no guarantee of a better price.

Council also considered holding out for another bid to come through, but Colvin said staff reached out to other contractors who did not seem interested, especially not at the budgeted price.

Ultimately, council decided to "bite the bullet" at the Sept. 8 meeting and unanimously approved the bid to McInnis Construction.