By Peter H. Milliken

and Denise Dick

news@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Twenty-two bids were received for construction of the new Mahoning County dog shelter at 1230 N. Meridian Road.

The bids covered general contractor, electric, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Wednesday was the submission deadline.

Seven bids were submitted for general contractor with Vendrick Construction Inc. of Brookfield the lowest with a base bid of $2,123,800, and Golan Inc. of Pittsburgh the highest at $3.25 million.

James Fortunato, county purchasing director, said Copich Architects of Liberty, the project architect, will review the bids to ensure they meet specifications and then make recommendations to county commissioners. He expects that to occur in the next few weeks. Commissioners will award the contracts.

The architect’s estimate for the project was $3,648,965.

Five contractors submitted bids for the plumbing portion of the project with Conti Corp. of Lowellville, having the lowest with $238,800 and Thornton & Son of Youngstown, the highest at $254,453.

Seven bids were submitted for electrical work. University Electric of Youngstown submitting the lowest at $355,000 and CR Electric Inc. of Girard, the highest at $532,555.

Three companies submitted proposals to do the heating, ventilation and air conditioning work. D&G Mechanical’s bid of $205,910 was the lowest. D&G is from West Middlesex, Pa.

The highest bid, $359,804, came from AA Samuels Sheet Metal Co. of Youngstown.

Groundbreaking likely will take place in May, once the former Jump Stretch Fitness Center, a sign and a house on the site are demolished, with the new dog shelter to be completed by year’s end, Fortunato said.

Commissioners awarded the $20,400 demolition contract March 3 to All Excavating Co. of Youngstown.

The new 14,000-square-foot shelter at 1230 N. Meridian Road will have considerably more capacity than the current Industrial Road dog pound it will replace, said Dianne Fry, county dog warden.

The current pound capacity is 50 to 60 dogs; the new shelter will be able to house 80 to 90 dogs, she said.

Money committed to the project so far includes $1 million the county borrowed in the bond market; $400,000 from the county dog and kennel fund, which is derived from dog-license fees and fines for dog-law violations; a $100,000 donation from philanthropist Tony Lariccia of Boardman and an anonymous $10,000 donation.

After expenses to date, including land acquisition and demolition costs, just over $1 million remains in the capital fund for the project, said Audrey Tillis, the county commissioners’ executive director.

The county will borrow additional money in the bond market for the project, and an additional $90,000 annually from dog-license fees will go toward project debt payments, Tillis added.

Meanwhile, the fundraising drive will continue, with donors having naming-rights opportunities to sponsor the new shelter or rooms or dog runs within it, Fry said.

Unlike the current pound, the new shelter will have separate areas for large dogs, small dogs and puppies, Fry said.