The much heralded Moffat Community Center designed to serve as a home for Manteca’s Jimmie Connors Veterans of Foreign Wars Post won’t be ready for a November dedication.

In fact, it might not even break ground by then.

Two bids for the fast-track project staff estimated would cost $990,000 came in $1,009,000 and $1,091,000 over that amount.

Staff is recommending the City Council reject the two bids submitted July 15 when they meet Tuesday at 7 p.m at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Yosemite Ave.

A staff report notes that “it appears a few factors resulted in the higher-than-anticipated bids.” Among those factors are the accelerated construction schedule at a time construction work has picked up, the configuration of the property, and the need for landscaping and frontage improvements.

Staff has indicated it plans to continue to work on evaluating other alternatives and report back to the council within the next 30 to 60 days.

In April, the council approved a lease agreement for a $1 year for 20 years with the veterans group to use the community center as their home base. When it isn’t in use by the veterans it would be available to the community.

The 3,153-square-foot building is proposed for city-owned land on the southwest corner of Moffat Boulevard and Industrial Park Drive kitty corner from the Spreckels Park BMX track.

The $990,000 tab was proposed to be covered with fees collected from growth.

It is envisioned to have an entry plaza nestled against the Tidewater Bikeway route that elbows the southwest corner of the intersection.

The proposal calls for an office, restrooms, dining area, bar, kitchen, assembly and storage plus 57 parking spaces and landscaping.

The city had no use for the parcel stretching from Industrial Park Drive to a rail spur that serves distribution centers in the Spreckels Park industrial area near the 120 Bypass overcrossing after it completed the 3.4-mile long Tidewater Bikeway. It was part of land bought from the now defunct Tidewater & Southern Railroad.