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Youngstown window-replacement bids come in too high
YOUNGSTOWN
It’s back to the drawing board for the replacement of windows at the city-owned 20 Federal Place downtown office building.
The two proposals received by Friday’s deadline were higher than the $300,000 estimated cost. Under city law, Youngstown isn’t permitted to award contracts for work if the proposals exceed the estimate.
Murphy Contracting Co. of Youngstown proposed $372,444 for the work with Gunton Corp. of Bedford Heights submitting a proposal of $415,000.
“The bids came in higher than expected,” said Charles Shasho, deputy director of the city’s public works department. “We’ll look at an alternative option. There are alternative installation methods. We’ll change the specifications and get a better price.”
The city should be ready to seek new proposals for the work in a couple of weeks, Shasho said.
The city is required to do this work and replace three elevators at 20 Federal Place as part of contracts it signed in 2009 and 2010 with VXI Global Solutions, a call center and the largest employer at the West Federal Street office building.
The contracts require the city to replace the windows on the fourth and fifth floors, where VXI employs about 700 people. Also, the city plans to replace some other windows at the building that are cracked.
The city awarded a $1,169,500 contract to Murphy and Schindler Elevator Corp. of Cleveland in January to replace the three elevators in the building’s main lobby.
The elevator work, being done one at a time, began March 21 with each elevator replacement taking about 10 to 15 weeks, said Sean McKinney, the city’s buildings and grounds commissioner.