$72,760 change order to replace lot material

The state will pick up 80 percent of the additional expense.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- City school officials said a delay in completing the P. Ross Berry Middle School construction project has resulted in the need for a $72,760 change order to replace deteriorated material for the parking lot.
The subbase material that goes under the pavement is no longer suitable and would likely fail to hold up under traffic, said Tony DeNiro, assistant superintendent for school business affairs.
The school district did what it calls an "early site package" for Berry, awarding a contract for site improvements before final design work is done.
Part of that package involved preparing the driveway and parking lot area with a subbase made of a slaglike material, DeNiro said.
That work was done, but the Ohio School Facilities Commission stepped in and stopped the project in 2003, insisting that the East Side school undergo some redesign to reflect declining pupil enrollment.
The result was a project delay that led to the subbase material's lying uncovered for two years, and it has broken down under the elements, DeNiro said. It needs to be replaced, he added, noting that the project architect, civil engineer, soils consultant and testing agencies all agree with that decision.
To replace material
The city school board voted Tuesday to pay Murphy Construction Inc., the general trades package contractor for Berry, $72,690 to remove about 1,000 cubic yards of the material and replace it.
The OSFC will pick up 80 percent of the cost.
DeNiro said there is sufficient money in the project contingency fund to cover the cost and keep the project within its $14 million budget. The new building is slated to open at the end of October, he said.
In other construction business, the board:
Awarded a $21,400 contract to Lepi Enterprises Inc. of Zanesville to remove asbestos at the Choffin Career and Technical Center on East Wood Street. Lepi was the lowest of five bidders for the work. Choffin also is part of the district's rebuilding program and is getting a $10.4 million renovation and expansion. The building remains open while that work is being done.
Agreed to seek bids for furniture for the new East High School slated to open in fall 2007. The furniture is expected to cost about $650,000 in a $30 million project.
gwin@vindy.com