VIDALIA &045; Mayor Hyram Copeland is choosing to be optimistic about the latest delay in awarding bids for the Gateway and Welcome Center.

&uot;As hard a time as we’ve had with this, we will be prepared when the time comes,&uot; he joked Thursday.

Because of a technicality, the city will have to rebid the construction contract for the building, which will be located on the Vidalia Riverfront.

&uot;I’m just sick about it,&uot; Copeland said.

Bids were advertised only one time, rather than the required three.

The city has experienced delays with the project in the past several months.

The project cost had been estimated at under $4 million, but original bids came in at more than $5 million.

Bidders earlier this month included:

4Don M. Barron Contractor Inc. of Farmerville, La., which bid $4,000,500 with alternate bids of $54,000, $237,500 and $89,000. Barron had originally submitted a $5.024 million bid.

4Nottingham Construction Inc., which bid $4,102,000, with alternate bids of $69,000, $286,000 and $68,000.

4Traxler Construction Inc., which bid $4,479,000, with alternate bids of $124,000, $247,000 and $95,000.

The city is looking at doing some of its own work on the center and will continue to seek additional funding for the project. The Gateway center will have a welcome center, offices for the Vidalia Chamber of Commerce and community meeting rooms.