KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Keene officials are preparing to open a new round of bids for the city’s downtown reconstruction project on April 24, marking the next step after earlier proposals came in millions over budget and forced a reset of the plan.

City Manager Elizabeth A. Ferland said the bid deadline was extended by a week after multiple contractors requested more time to prepare proposals. As a result, submissions are now due the day they are scheduled to be opened.

Ferland said the bid opening will be open to the public, but emphasized that no immediate decisions will be made that day.

“All bids are vetted first to be sure they are in compliance with bid requirements,” she said, noting that the review process will take place before any recommendations are made.

An update is expected to be presented to the City Council’s Municipal Services, Facilities and Infrastructure Committee on April 29, with any additional action potentially heading to the full council in early May.

The new bidding process follows a costly setback earlier this winter, when the city received just two proposals for the downtown infrastructure improvement and reconstruction project—both far exceeding the roughly $19 million budget. One bid came in around $28 million, while the other topped $30 million.

In response, city staff reworked the scope of the project in an effort to bring costs down. Public Works Director Don Lussier previously outlined a combination of cuts, deferrals, and design changes aimed at reducing expenses by more than $4 million. Those included scaling back certain features, postponing amenities like benches and bike racks, and reconsidering construction methods.

Officials also revisited the project timeline. Originally planned over three construction seasons, the work had been compressed into two years at the request of downtown businesses—something contractors later cited as a major driver of higher costs. City staff have since recommended returning to a three-year schedule to improve feasibility and lower bids.

The upcoming bid opening will reveal whether those adjustments are enough to attract more competitive pricing and move the long-anticipated project forward.