Miami Beach to change convention center process

After Hunt Construction Company formally withdrew its bid for the $500 million renovation and expansion of the Miami Beach Convention Center last month, Miami Beach is changing its contractor process.

Hunt dropped its bid in January, leaving Miami Beach with one qualified — and competition-free — bidder for the project.

The city will put a “construction management at risk contract” out to bid, the Miami Herald reported. The firm that’s selected will work with subcontractors on parts of the project, which will reportedly keep the renovation on schedule to begin after Art Basel.

“At the end of the process, despite the discussion we had, I felt on the project of this size and of this nature and budget, I could not in good faith tell you that we were getting a competitive and best price that we could,” City Manager Jimmy Morales told the Miami Herald. “And certainly a project of that nature shouldn’t have that cloud hanging over it.” [Miami Herald] — Katherine Kallergis