GUILFORD – After more than two years of work and several trips back to the drawing board, the Town of Guilford is one step closer to getting its new highway garage and town hall. Bids for preliminary sitework and general construction of the two buildings were awarded Wednesday night.

“The work has really just begun,” said building committee chairperson Sue McIntyre at the end of the town board meeting where the bids were awarded. “It’s a relief to know that the project is still advancing.”

The fate of the project appeared in jeopardy when it was revealed that the bids, opened on Aug. 5, were higher than the committee and town board had hoped.

“The bids were kind of discouraging,” said town councilman and building committee member Bruce Winsor. “We’re going to have to make some decisions. It doesn’t look like we’ll have enough within the $1.65 million to do this.”

Separate bids had been requested for site construction, general construction, plumbing, HVAC and electrical. Each request included a base bid for a four-bay highway garage plus several alternates. The site construction bid, for example, included alternates for the construction of a retention pond, septic system and sitework and parking for the town hall.