A.M. Stephens Construction of Lodi was awarded the bid to handle the Main Street Phase 2 enhancement project.

“We had two bids on the project and his one was (over $107,000) lower,” Deputy City Administrator / City Engineer Kevin Werner said at last Tuesday’s Ripon City Council meeting.

A-Vet Construction was the other bidder.

A.M. Stephens came in at $265,950, with work consisting of landscape enhancement along Main Street, between Acacia Avenue and Nourse Street.

They’ll also replace the existing trellises with brick and metal trellises; change plants at the various planters, if needed; retrofit existing planter pots – at least the ones that have shifted – and handle the landscape improvements at the planters near the entrance of the Main Street park lot next to the Ripon Roadhouse Restaurant.

In 2008, the City of Ripon received a grant from the state Department of Transportation, specifically, for improvements to this area of downtown.

“We will meet with Caltrans to try and maximize our money,” Werner said.

Since no road work is required, the businesses here should be able to continue operating with minimal disruptions.

Council, meanwhile, unanimously accepted the bid from A.M. Stephens.

This general engineering contractor handles paving and grading.

A.M. Stephens, in addition, have projects going on from Sacramento to the Livermore Valley.

Construction on the Ripon beautification project is expected to take place in the summer.