Hank Dewald, Herald Staff Writer

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GARYSBURG— Thirty-two local contractors were given a bird’s-eye view of the plans for the North Carolina Center for Automotive Research this week in hopes that they may be one of the companies chosen to help build the multi-million dollar facility.

With NCCAR officials and representatives from Architects Kurmaskie & Tolson Associates, Inc. (aktai) and the first single prime contractor, PLT Construction Inc., they braved chilly temperatures and muddy fields to look over the site near Garysburg in Northampton County.

In the cramped PLT Construction trailer, they were welcomed by NCCAR Chief Executive Officer Simon Cobb and President Gary Brown.

Tim Kurmaskie, president of aktai, and Greg Snyder and Sonny Wooten of PLT Construction, led the discussion.

"I want to thank you all for your commitment to submit a bid on the North Carolina Center for Automotive Research," Kurmaskie told the group. "It's a real interesting project, a real exciting project, and its one that obviously will be going on for some time in the far future."

Kurmaskie hinted at the time frame for the project by using his children as a timeline. "I always like to think of it in terms of my children, as they get older and make their way through school, we probably won't see its completion until at least one of them is out of college, or maybe even both of them are out of college."

He then pointed out that phase 1A of the project is under way and expected to move quickly.

Brown told the contractors, “We have a commitment to do this project exceptionally well and I know each of you share that same commitment. This is a project largely driven by design of professionals from throughout the world. We have some very exacting standards, both on the site and on the facilities to be constructed. We know you're equal to that challenge and I bid you all best of luck as you go forward.”

Cobb offered another perspective. "This is an automotive research center. That's what it's going to become. It's not a service garage. It's where high tech future transportation development is going to be conducted and that's the reason for the slightly strange design," Cobb said. "It's not just three bays. They are discreet client garages where clients may well work 24/7 while they're on a trip from Thailand or Japan, or who knows where. That's the purpose for this site. Maybe that gives you a slight insight on why it is what it is."

Kurmaskie told the group that the site itself is PLT Construction's site and all jobs must be approached with that in mind. There will be strict rules because there could be several contractors working together in the same areas of the site, so parking and deliveries will have to be scheduled very carefully. Another issue:  Dominion Power electrical transmission towers and cables running overhead.

Once the general ground rules were laid out, the contractors were allowed to ask questions and several had some issues with the very tight timeframe given to complete the buildings. Some wanted to know if electricity and water would be available during the construction period, and the answer was no, neither is available now. Generators and tanker trucks will be used initially.

The bid opening date is Jan. 29, 2009.