The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

It’s back to work on building a brewery at Cathlamet’s Elochoman Marina.

After rejecting bids from an earlier round of bidding that were higher than expected, Wahkiakum Port District No. 1 commissioners have gone to bid again with a revised scope of work.

Drop Anchor Brewery, LLC partners provided an update to the original scope of work which they requested for constructing the 36-by-40 foot building which they plan to lease from the port.

The commissioners reviewed the document with Port Manager Jackie Lea when they met June 6.

“They have taken some stuff out,” explained Lea. “They’re trying to get the cost to about $55,000.”

Painting is out. So are a heating and air conditioning system and interior wall insulation and sheetrock. The brewery will also need to finish the building’s bathroom and add the entry patio and an overhead door for receiving supply shipments.

The lowest bid submitted in the earlier round of bidding was $77,564.

“Is the basic construction still going to be a 2x6 stick frame building?” Commissioner Gary Quigley asked Lea. “I think it’s going to be difficult to get in that price range unless you do a pole building.”

“But if you do a pole building and put the HardiePlank siding on, you still have to put the sheeting on there. So it doesn’t really take the cost down, and I don’t really want another metal building,” responded Lea.

“I don’t either, but I think that may be the only way they can get the cost down,” Quigley said.

The new bidding process will have a December date for completion of construction, rather than August as requested in the first round of bidding.

“We had discussion with other contractors who said they did not submit bids because the time frame was too short, so hopefully the longer time frame will draw some more bids,” said Port Attorney Tim Hanigan.

The deadline for submission of bids is June 28.