BUILDER WINS BACKING FOR SIMI POLICE STATION : CITY COUNCIL ENDORSES PASADENA CONTRACTOR BID.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

Taking to heart the city's budget concerns, a Pasadena contractor bid $10.1 million to build the long-awaited police station, winning the city staff's recommendation for the 101,000-square-foot project.

Shirley Bros.' estimate fell $379,000 below the next-highest bidder - C.W. Driver, the Eagle Rock contractor whose $10.5 million bid was rejected as too high when the city tried in January to award the contract.

The city has budgeted $10.6 million, including a 5 percent contingency and $126,700 to relocate utilities. These elements put the Shirley offer over budget, but staffers say it is close enough to make the plan feasible.

``We're there and we're ready to make a recommendation to the council,'' said Assistant City Manager Don Penman.

The bids, which were due March 6, will be reviewed Monday by the City Council.

The city proposes building a state-of-the-art police station on six acres at Tapo Canyon Road and Alamo Street to replace its 25,100-square-foot facility at 3200 Cochran St.

In addition to Driver, the other bids were from Bernards Bros. Construction, $10.4 million; Swinerton/Walberg, $10.7 million; and Pinner Construction, S.J. Amoroso Construction Co., and Pozzo Construction Co., which each came in with bids of about $10.8 million.