Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance to hold workshops on bidding for flood control projects

The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance will hold meetings on Thursday for local contractors interested in bidding for one of several multimillion-dollar projects planned for the Flood Control System.

The first of the two meetings, dubbed 'Historic Build,” is already full but reservations still can be made for the 6:30 p.m. meeting. Both will be held at the alliance offices, 501 First St. SE, in downtown Cedar Rapids.

Reservations can be made at the alliance website, https://bit.ly/2QxAUrY.

The alliance will have officials from the city and the Army Corps of Engineers speak about upcoming projects such as levee extensions in the NewBo and Czech Village neighborhoods, the Cargill flood wall and storm sewer shut-off gates, among other related topics.

The meetings also will cover bidding procedures for both city and Army Corps projects, and when certain contracts are expected to be opened for bids.

The meetings come a month after the Cedar Rapids City Council unanimously backed a plan to raise property taxes to support a 10-year, $550 million bonding plan to pay for a series of flood-protection measures on both banks of the Cedar River, to be installed over the next five years.

The city is expected to receive approximately $367 million in state and federal aid for the systems.