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9 of 10 bids for former Weatherbee building incorrect
YOUNGSTOWN
With only one valid proposal out of 10 submitted to demolish and clean up portions of the former Weatherbee Coat Factory building, the city’s board of control agreed to start the process over again.
The board voted Thursday to throw out all of the proposals and seek new ones for the work, estimated to cost $553,560. That money is coming from a state grant the city received.
Nine of the proposals were disqualified because they were incomplete, had prices listed in the wrong places and had math errors, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of the city’s public works department.
Three others were disqualified because they were submitted shortly after the noon Feb. 4 deadline, Shasho said.
“There were a lot of out-of-town bidders,” Shasho said when asked why there were so many mistakes. “We explained everything completely. It’s not particularly difficult, but they didn’t get it right.”
The only correct proposal came from Titan Wrecking and Environmental, a company in Kenmore, N.Y., Shasho said. The company’s proposal was for $524,573.
Shasho said he requested another attempt because having only one correct proposal among 10 isn’t a competitive process.
Valley Foods is expanding its operations to the former Weatherbee Coat Factory at 439-461 E. Federal St.
The company wants to open that location for food packaging this summer, said city Finance Director David Bozanich, a board of control member. The city will have the work done by then, he said.
Valley Foods sells fresh, frozen foods to customers such as school systems and the military.
Also Thursday, the board approved a $249,935 contract with Clarion Associates, based in Denver, to create a new zoning code. Clarion was chosen over nine other firms.
The city received a $200,000 state grant to pay for the new code with the rest coming from its federal Community Development Block Grant allocation.