CAMDEN – The Select Board on Monday night awarded the Penobscot Co. of Camden the contract for renovating Fire Department buildings into a new public safety facility.

Five firms bid on the project. All the bids were significantly lower than what the town had budgeted for the work.

In November, voters approved borrowing up to $990,200 for the project, in which the Allen F. Payson Building and part of the Oxton Annex will be renovated as the new headquarters for the Police Department. The fire and police departments will share part of the complex.

The other bidders were: Catalano Construction, Eastern Construction, Fine Builders and Laukka Construction. Base bids ranged from $489,999 by Catalano Construction, to $577,956 by Laukka Construction.

The base bid from Penobscot Co. was $496,700; with alternate work added, the total bid was $516,379.

In a letter to the Select Board, Town Manager Roberta Smith noted that Catalano Construction of Thomaston, the apparent low bidder, did not submit a bid bond.

Smith wrote that company owner Richard Catalano told her the company did not have the funds for a bid bond and could not provide the performance bond or the material and payment bond.

Smith also recommended negotiating with Penobscot to add $75,000 to $100,000 in amenities that had been cut from the project.

With architectural and engineering fees, hiring a part-time clerk of the works, furnishings and other costs, the total for the work is estimated at $831,200.