Contracts let for expansion of Elvis’ birthplace

TUPELO — The board of directors of the Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation has voted to award the contract for the expansion of Presley’s birthplace venue to the apparent low bidder, Panola Construction of Batesville.

The low bid for the base project was $2.689 million. The board agreed to accept Alternate #2 for $38,600.

In additional action, Germantown Contracting’s base bid of $227,000 for audio-visual and theatre equipment, along with an additional alternate for $21,000, was accepted by the board.

This will allow the first phase of approximately $5.6 million in construction at the birthplace to include an event center, theatre, snack bar, archival storage and administrative space and two patios for guest enjoyment.

The construction is partially funded by $2.8 million voted by the Mississippi Legislature in 2010 and administrated by the Mississippi Development Authority, along with matching funds from the City of Tupelo, the Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation, the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Carpenter Foundation.

Construction will begin this spring.

Source: Robinson & Associates Inc.