The commission shall construct the state legislative building pursuant to a contract or contracts. Every such contract shall be secured by a bond meeting the requirements of section thirty-nine, article two, chapter thirty-eight of this code.
No contract or contracts for the construction of the building or any approaches, structures or facilities incidental thereto, or for the equipping and furnishing of the building, when the anticipated expenditure therefor will exceed the sum of $2,000, shall be entered into except upon the basis of competitive sealed bids. Such bids shall be obtained by public notice soliciting such bids published as a Class II legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code, and the publication area for such publication shall be Kanawha county. The publication shall be completed at least fourteen days prior to the final date for the submission of bids. The commission may in addition to such publication also solicit sealed bids by sending requests by mail to prospective bidders. The contract shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, unless any and all bids are rejected, in which event new bids shall be sought by again publishing notice as aforesaid. Any bid, with the name of the bidder, shall be entered on a record and each record, with the successful bid indicated thereon, shall, after the award of any contract, be open to public inspection.