Guaranteed monorail proposal submitted

Contractors have given the Seattle Monorail Project a vote of confidence by submitting a revised, guaranteed offer to build the $1.7 billion line.

But the public won't get to see the offer until at least June or July.

Cascadia Monorail, a team of 29 firms, issued a "bonded proposal" last week, along with a $25 million deposit assuring that if the agency accepts it, the team would break ground.

"It's been a difficult but normal process we're going through here. We're very close," said team executive Jeff Fielder of Fluor Enterprises.

Last night, the monorail agency's executive director, Joel Horn, told board members he needs 60 to 90 days to review details and wrap up final negotiations. Talks have gone on nearly eight months since Aug. 16, when Cascadia submitted the sole bid for the line connecting Ballard, Seattle Center, downtown and West Seattle. The agency's original bid instructions anticipated two months.

Monorail officials did not release any documents from the proposal, or memos regarding Cascadia's $25 million deposit.

Cascadia's latest proposal includes a full 14-mile line, as well as train arrivals every three minutes downtown and every six minutes in outlying neighborhoods. But Fielder wouldn't comment about how soon Cascadia would provide that sort of capacity.

Information

Seattle Monorail Project: A press release, meeting video and train depictions are online at

www.elevated.org/project/
building/negotiations_news.asp

Officials also aren't saying which of the advertised 19 stations might be cut or delayed to help make up for a budget shortfall and rising prices of concrete and steel.

"I do know that was not a hard commitment to voters. The plan was clear it was up to 19 stations," elected board member Cleve Stockmeyer said earlier. If some stations weren't ready on opening day, the agency still would own land and tracks where stations could be added, he said. "I wouldn't equate 'deferred' and 'cut' at all."

The other elected board member, Cindi Laws, said last night that deferred stations are unacceptable.

The agency needs a "Plan B" for possible rebidding, in case Cascadia talks fail, she said at the meeting. "Hope is not a method. What happens if the condom breaks? What are we going to do? We have no backup system. There is no contraception in place."

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com