The awarding of four contracts totaling more than $5 million for construction projects on the Papago Indian Reservation in southern Arizona was announced today by Commissioner of Indian Affairs Morris Thompson.
A contract for $4,215,636 was awarded to the Lembe Construction Co., Albuquerque, N.H., for the construction of additional school facilities at Santa Rosa, Ariz.
"The job opportunities created by the development of the copper mining industry on the reservation," said Commissioner Thompson, "are bringing Papago families back to the reservation. More families mean more children and, consequently, greater need for schools. We will be doubling the size of the Santa Rosa facility."
The school now crowds in about 400 elementary students, about one quarter of them dormitory residents. The new addition will include 12 classrooms, a gymnasium, instructional materials center and administrative area. The contract, also calls for the construction of 18 housing unit.3 for tead1ers and other state Additional dormitory facilities are planned for future construction.
The other three contracts are for road construction projects.
The Buck Brown Contracting Company of Phoenix, Ariz., received a contract for $589,917 to grade, drain, and surface 14 miles of road between Sells and Big Field. The Papago tribal headquarters are at Sells. The contract includes 1.2 miles of streets in Sells leading to a housing project. Thirteen bids were received, with the highest exceeding $825,000.
The other contracts pertain to work being done on 29 miles of road near the site of a planned future school.
The Arizona Culvert and Manufacturing Company, Tempe, Ariz., was low bidder for the provision of some 15,000 lineal feet of corrugated steel pipe of various sizes and 350 bands of various sizes. The total amount of the contract was $183,603.
Three other bids were received ranging up to $211,746.
A Chandler, Arizona firm, Rain for Rent, Inc., received a $59,648 contract for the rental of a pump, storage tank, booster pump and aluminum pipe fittings.
