YOUNGSTOWN CIC extends deadline for project bidding

The completion date of Feb. 1, 2005, won't change.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Downtown's redevelopment agency is extending the deadline for bids to build a state-county office building.
Contractors successfully pleaded for more time Friday at a pre-bid meeting for the project. They got an extra 12 days.
The projected completion date of Feb. 1, 2005, isn't changing, however.
Bids are due at 1 p.m. Dec. 3 to the Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corp. The previous deadline was Friday.
CIC is managing the estimated $7.5 million project. The office will house the Mahoning County Children Services Board and the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. The new office on West Federal Street will be next to the George V. Voinovich Government Center and attached by a pedestrian bridge. BWC already has offices in the Voinovich Center.
Tight timeline
The construction timeline is tight because BWC wants the building available as soon as possible. Originally, the agency wanted to occupy the space in October 2004. That date was pushed back because striking a deal with the county agency took months longer than expected.
Contractors interested in bidding to build the new office lobbied hard for the deadline change.
CIC made the bid information available Oct. 31. The three-week timeline to prepare a bid was far too short, contractors said.
Robert Judd of the Ruhlin Co. in Sharon Center said his company would find it impossible to make a bid by next week. Several other contractors echoed his comments.
CIC likely would get a better price if contractors had a week or so more to make accurate bids, said Buzz Gurbany of Murphy Contracting in Youngstown.
Only Jance Construction of Mentor was interested in keeping the original bid date. Jance designed and built the Voinovich Center, which is expected to be the model for the new building.
CIC also narrowed the time it will take to award the contract. CIC staff reduced the maximum decision-making time from 60 days to 45 days after the bid opening.
Every day is important, especially at the start, when the timeline is so tight, said Ronald Cornell Faniro, an architect in the city.
rgsmith@vindy.com