The Walker County Commissioners Court approved LDF Construction Inc. of Spring as the contractor for the county’s HEARTS Veterans Museum of Texas.

County purchasing agent Linda McKenzie will make the recommendation to the five-member court during its special session Monday morning at the courthouse.

County Judge Danny Pierce and commissioners B.J. Gaines Jr., Robert Autery, Buddy Reynolds and Tim Paulsel voted unanimously to award the contract to the Spring company.

LDF Construction’s bid stayed within the museum’s $1.6 million budget.

The 12,000 square-foot structure will be built adjacent to the Walker County Storm Shelter off state Highway 75 North.

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

The company submitted the lowest base bid of $1,478,000, and the HEARTS museum committee selected five of the company’s six alternate bids which brought the total project bid to $1,564,290.

The alternate bids were for a dumbwaiter, $11,900; millwork, $43,800; security system, $20,100; homosote panels, $1,990; and steel gate fence and accessories for the plaza area between the storm shelter and museum, $8,500.

LDF Construction’s bid was one of eight submitted for consideration by the 11-member museum committee.

McKenzie said LDF Construction has done other work in Huntsville, including the sanctuary at University Heights Baptist Church and Phase II of the education building at Elkins Lake Baptist Church.

McKenzie said architect TAO Limited of Huntsville will issue a notice to proceed to LDF and the company will have 30 days to submit performance and payment bonds and certificate of insurance to her office.

She said the company has 210 calendar days — or by Aug. 31, 2009 — to complete the Pentagon-shaped museum — two years after the county received a $2 million appropriations from the state Legislature on Sept. 1, 2007.

The 210-day finish date starts today.

Also Monday, the court:

• Approved Enterprise Agreement for Microsoft Volume Licensing for three years

• Tabled variance for the replat of Tract 10 & 11B of the Bobby J. Thomas O'Bannon Lands, in A-692, the I. & G. N. Railroad Co. Survey on O'Bannon Ranch Road

• Tabled the replat of Tracts 10 & 11B of the Bobby J. Thomas O’Bannon Lands, in A-692, the I. & G. N. Railroad Co. Survey on O'Bannon Ranch Road

• Approved Joe Santopetro as agent for Walker County for Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation issues.

• Approvde agreement with Landscapers Pride for debris disposal

• Tabled changes to Personnel Policy Manual