ARENA PROJECT More bids are under estimate



The apparent low bidders were about $500,000 less than the estimate.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- As it was during the first round of proposals for work at the downtown arena, the bids for the second round of projects came in well under estimates.
The city opened bids Thursday for five proposals, and the apparent low bidders were almost $500,000 less than the engineer's estimates, primarily because A.P. O'Horo's apparent low bid for the foundation of the 5,500-seat, $41 million project was $400,000 under the engineer's estimate. The Liberty company's bid was $1,325,000; the engineer's estimate for the job was $1,725,000.
Murphy Contracting Co. of Youngstown was the only other company to submit a bid on the foundation. Its bid was $1,463,000.
A.P. O'Horo was the only company to bid on two other projects for the arena. The company submitted a proposal to install stilts for $265,000; the engineer's estimate was $290,000 for the work. Also, the company submitted a $30,000 bid, which is the engineer's estimate, for a small amount of steel needed for the project, and not the major structural steel to be used to build the facility, city officials said.
Other bids
Komar Plumbing Inc. of Youngstown submitted the apparent low bid, $248,000, to install underground plumbing and mechanical work. Three other companies submitted proposals for the job, which had an estimated cost of $260,000.
Santon Electric Co. of Youngstown submitted the apparent low bid, $111,500, for underground electric work, estimated to cost $150,000. But Carmen Conglose Jr., the city's deputy director of public works, said the company failed to meet a requirement with its bid proposal. That doesn't mean the bid will be disqualified, he said, but city officials will have to scrutinize the company's proposal before it can award a contract.
The next apparent low bid came from Bruce and Marilees Electric Co. of New Castle, Pa., $111,663.
Overall, 13 companies submitted bids for the five projects.
"The bids are substantially below estimates, which gives us unanticipated cost savings," Conglose said.
Officials with the city and Hunt Construction Group of Dallas, the company doing construction management for the project, will review all of the bids before contracts are awarded. The contract awards are expected at next Thursday's board of control meeting, Conglose said.
"Competitive bidding gives the city the best value," said Mike Perry, Hunt's project manager for the downtown arena.
Still to be awarded
Two projects received no proposals: the installation of elevators, with a $170,000 engineer's estimate, and the construction of loading docks, with a $15,000 engineer's estimate.
Bids awarded last week for earthwork needed to clear the arena site and do mass excavation, as well as to install water, sanitary and storm sewer lines were more than $1 million under the engineer's estimate. Marucci and Gaffney of Youngstown, awarded those contracts, is already on site doing the work.
The next set of proposals will include another request for bids for the elevators and loading docks, as well as the demolition of buildings on the arena site, and possibly for structural steel for the facility, Perry said. It is not known when the city will seek bids for this work, but it is expected in about a month.
skolnick@vindy.com

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