Lincoln University is having a "do-over" on its Reed Stadium renovations.
During a closed meeting conference call last Friday, LU's curators voted to "rescind" their March 29 vote awarding a $1,823,870 contract for the project.
"Following the March 29th meeting, an irregularity in the bid process was discovered. To avoid any appearance of impropriety, the University is reopening the bidding process," President Kevin D. Rome explained in a news release Tuesday.
He didn't explain the "irregularity."
On March 29, LU Curators awarded the contract to Byrne and Jones, of St. Louis, to replace the grass field with artificial turf, upgrade the track surface and scoreboard, and replace the stadium's lights and sound system. The work was to be done by Aug. 15, in time for the first football game of the 2017 season.
At their Feb. 9 meeting, the curators approved selling up to $2.5 million in bonds to pay for the work and for additions to the basement of the new Wellness Center, using revenues from a new, student-approved athletic fee of $10 per credit hour to repay the bonds.
After the March meeting, officials said there wasn't enough funding available to paint the stands or renovate the stadium's restrooms.
However, Rome's news release Tuesday said the new request for bids "will include an increased scope of the work."
LU spokeswoman Misty Young told the News Tribune the new bids also will ask for stadium building renovation work, security lighting improvements, emergency/safety telephones, newly updated logo graphics, concrete cleaning, major restroom repairs and renovations, metal awnings repair/refinishing, modified parking striping, roof drain repairs, turnstile removal and a walking path.