The Andalusia City Council last night rejected all bids submitted for the renovation of Church Street Elementary School as a cultural arts center and home to the Andalusia Ballet.

Instead, the city will negotiate with the apparent low bidder, Ingram Construction, LLC, of Montgomery. The company’s bid was $1,621,215.

Mayor Earl Johnson said there is a lot of work involved in the project that the city will be able to do to cut the total cost of the project.

The council has an agreement with the Andalusia Ballet in which the association agreed to contribute $500,000 toward the renovation. It will act as managing tenant of the facility and occupy the main floor.

The council also:

• declared lighting at Johnson Park surplus so that it can be sold as renovations on that park begin.

• named Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood its engineering firm for a project for a water and sewerage project in the city industrial park.

• accepted a $248,065 bid from Jim House and Associates to replace pumps at several sewerage pumping stations. The purchase is covered by a stimulus package grant designed to improve energy efficiency. The pumps are guaranteed to reduce power costs of the pumps by 25 percent.