YOUNGSTOWN SCHOOLS State OKs payment for building project

The amount awarded is for the rest of the current two-year state budget.
By JEFF ORTEGA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- The state has approved the next payment for Youngstown City Schools' construction manager for the district's $163 million school-building project.
Without comment, the State Controlling Board approved the release Monday of $3 million to contract with Heery International of Cleveland for construction management services.
Total compensation for construction management services for the school district's project, approved by the Ohio School Facilities Commission in 2000, is $11.9 million, controlling board documents say.
According to board documents, past construction management contracts with Heery total $4.2 million. The amount awarded Monday is for the rest of the current two-year, $48.8 billion state budget that expires in 2005, documents say.
Commission officials say renewable options for Heery for future years, worth $4.7 million, are to be presented to the controlling board in the future.
According to the OSFC, the Youngstown school system's project consists of $130.3 million in state funds and slightly more than $33 million generated by the school system.
Building project
The Youngstown schools project is to build three new elementary schools; renovate six elementary schools; renovate two middle schools; renovate two high schools to be converted to middle schools; construct a high school; and renovate two other high schools, the OSFC said.
In other business, the board approved the release of $115,676 in the current fiscal year that ends June 30 and $126,192 in the next fiscal year to lease commercial office space at 2445 Belmont Ave. in Youngstown for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority.
Made up of six state lawmakers and a representative of the governor's office, the controlling board has the final say over some larger state spending projects.