43
Youngstown board authorized $2.2 million in improvement projects
YOUNGSTOWN
The city’s board of control authorized about $2.2 million in projects to replace water lines, improve streets, turn the former Kress Building site into a parking lot and for work related to a downtown sewer line.
The most expensive project is $954,860 to Shelly & Sands Inc. of Akron to pave four streets and upgrade traffic signals at four intersections.
City officials opened proposals Monday with the board of control approval coming Thursday.
The work should begin in late April and take 75 days to complete, said Charles Shasho, director of the city’s public-works department.
The streets to be repaved include Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Rayen and Belmont avenues. City officials consider that one of the worst main roads in Youngstown.
Also OK’d by the board Thursday was a $331,443 project to replace a waterline on Cherry Hill Avenue, and $379,180 to replace waterlines on Bancroft Avenue, Nadyne Drive and Meredyth Lane.
The work will start as soon as possible, said Water Commissioner Harry L. Johnson III.
The board also agreed to pay $313,588 to DLG Construction Services, a sister company to the business that owns the Federal Building at 100 W. Federal St., for a portion of that structure’s basement, underneath the North Phelps Street sidewalk, Shasho said.
The basement is needed to store communication lines that will be moved so the city can replace sewer lines on Phelps. In addition to selling the basement space, DLG will also do the work to build a new basement retaining wall.
Also Thursday, the board agreed to hire the Murphy Contracting Co. of Youngstown for $194,367 to turn the former Kress Building site on West Federal Street into a 20-space parking lot.
The spaces would be used by its water and sewer customers paying bills at nearby city hall.
On weekends and after 4:30 or 5 p.m. on weekdays, the lot will provide free parking.