KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) A major effort to restart Keene’s long-planned downtown reconstruction project ran into another obstacle Friday when city officials opened bids and found none had been submitted.

At a public bid opening held at Keene City Hall, Yves Gakunde, the city’s purchasing and contract services manager, announced that no proposals were received — either in hard copy or through the city’s online procurement system — by the 2 p.m. deadline.

The outcome follows weeks of anticipation after the city reset the project earlier this year in response to dramatically high initial bids. Officials had extended the latest deadline from April 16 to April 24 after multiple contractors requested more time, and several firms had actively engaged in the process by attending a pre-bid meeting and requesting additional details.

Despite that interest, the submission window ultimately closed empty.

City staff said the project still fits within its approved budget but acknowledged that broader construction market conditions may be limiting participation. Contractors across the region continue to juggle heavy workloads and rising costs, factors that can discourage firms from taking on large, complex municipal projects.

The lack of bids marks the latest twist in a process that has already undergone significant changes. Earlier this year, the city received just two proposals for the downtown reconstruction — both far exceeding the roughly $19 million budget, with one nearing $28 million and the other topping $30 million.

In response, officials scaled back the project, cutting or deferring certain elements and adjusting construction plans to reduce costs by more than $4 million. They also revisited the timeline, shifting away from a compressed two-season schedule — which contractors had identified as a major cost driver — and recommending a return to a three-year construction window to improve feasibility.

The revised plan was intended to attract more competitive bids in this latest round.

Now, with no proposals submitted, city officials are turning their focus to understanding why. Staff plan to review procurement system data to identify which contractors accessed bid documents and will follow up directly with those firms for feedback.

That information will help guide discussions among the Public Works Department, the City Manager, and the City Council as they determine how to proceed. Potential options could include further revisions to the project, another bid solicitation, or adjustments to the timeline.

City leaders emphasized that the downtown reconstruction remains a priority and said additional updates will be shared as more details become available, with a report expected to go before the City Council in the coming weeks.