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Apparent low A/C proposal less than half estimate
YOUNGSTOWN
The city’s deputy director of public works expected proposals to handle the installation and construction work to put an air-conditioning unit on 20 Federal Place to be under the $1.3 million estimate.
But Charles Shasho said he was “shocked” that the apparent low proposal for the work was $639,500, less than half of the estimate.
Proutt Boiler Heating & Welding Inc. of Youngstown provided the apparent low proposal among the four submitted by Friday’s deadline. The next lowest was $739,200 from Synergy LLC of Akron. The two other proposals were also under the estimate: $940,000 from Western Reserve Mechanical Inc. of Niles, and $1,109,861 from the Conti Corp. of Lowellville.
“I am very happy with the price,” Shasho said. “I knew they’d be competitive, as the bidders were very interested in the project. I expected it to be less than the estimate, but I didn’t think it would be this low.”
The city’s public works and law departments, and MS Consultants of Youngstown, which is being paid $57,298 by the city for design services for this project, will review the proposals before making a final recommendation to the city’s board of control. A request to hire a company could be to the board of control by its next meeting, Feb. 27, Shasho said.
About Aug. 20, 2013, the air-conditioning system at the city-owned 20 Federal Place office building stopped working.
A few days later, the city had Western Reserve Mechanical install temporary systems at a cost of $47,847 that were used until about mid-October.
The work to install and construct the new system should start in early to mid-March and take up to 90 days to finish, Shasho said.
That could pose a problem because it means the system wouldn’t be ready until early to mid-June.
“We’ll try to move this as expeditiously as we can,” said Mayor John A. McNally.
In addition to the MS fee, the city purchased a 400-ton air-cooled chiller for $188,000 from Trane US Inc. of LaCrosse, Wis., and various electrical equipment needed for the project for $124,000 from Graybar Electric, which has a location in Youngstown. Both were made through state purchasing.