Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) announced in August it was seeking a new warehouse and central office for its operations.
Responses to ABC's request for proposal by bidders are due by October 20. A pre-proposal conference was held by ABC with bidders to ask questions about the project on Friday.
If the bidder is planning on building a new warehouse and office for the ABC to lease, construction would have to be completed by the end of 2025, according to the RFP.
"They seem like they're proceeding on trying to get it done. That's what it seems like to me, but there's still a lot of questions surrounding that project," John Knight, an ABC Board member, told 1819 News on Friday.
Knight previously estimated the cost of the project could be at least $80 million. The RFP outlines a 250,000-square-foot warehouse facility with expansion designs "for up to 325,000 square feet for future growth."
The new lease would be in the range of 10 to 25 years.
By law, the ABC Board is required to lease all facilities. The Board's central offices and warehouse, located at 2715 Gunter Park Drive West in Montgomery, were leased in April 1982. The site has been modified multiple times to increase warehouse space, parking and office space. The ABC Board now requires "facilities designed to alleviate current constraints, that foster continued growth and support the future business needs of the state of Alabama," according to the ABC.
The current lease for the central office complex and main warehouse will expire on March 31, 2025.
Alabama is one of 17 remaining alcoholic beverage control states in the United States.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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