Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The board meets next
Tuesday to vote on rebidding the renovation project.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
STRUTHERS — A glitch has developed in Phases 2 and 3 of renovation of Struthers High School’s Wildcat Stadium, but the project is still expected to be completed in time for the 2008 football season.
Schools Treasurer Michael Evanson said the low bid for the project, $1,051,852, was 23.75 percent, or $201,852, over the engineer’s estimate of $850,000. So, it must be rejected by the board of education, and the project bid again.
Evanson said during Tuesday’s board meeting that state law requires that a bid on a public project that is 10 percent or more over the official estimate be rejected.
As a consequence, the board voted to have a special meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at which it is expected to officially reject the bids and put the project out for bid a second time.
In the meantime, the Save Our Stadium Committee members, school officials and representatives of Eckles Architecture and Engineering in Canfield, who designed the project, are expected to meet and re-evaluate and scale-down the project.
Despite the setback, Evanson said he expects the project to be completed by mid-August, a month later than originally planned.
Phases 2 and 3 include new bleachers on the west side of the stadium. The concrete east stands, which were built in 1936, were demolished and rebuilt in 2007. When the new west stands are complete, the stadium will have about 3,000 regular seats plus 14 to 18 spaces for wheelchairs.
Evanson said the project is being financed primarily with revenue generated by open-enrollment pupils.
In a related matter, the board authorized construction of a pole-type storage building to replace storage space lost when the old stadium was demolished. Evanson said a set-back variance will be required from the city before the building can be put up. If approved, the 24- by 28-foot structure will be built on the site of the former bus garage on Wildcat Alley. The low bid on the project of $7,332 was submitted by Bernard-Daniels Lumber and Home Center in Canfield.
alcorn@vindy.com