City Awards $721K Contract for Paramount Demolition
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Work should start in May on demolition of the former Paramount Theater, a structure local preservationists had hoped to keep partially intact. The city Board of Control approved a $721,000 contract with Baumann Enterprises Inc., Cleveland, for demolition and abatement work at the West Federal Street site.
The board – which consists of Mayor Chuck Sammarone, Law Director Anthony Farris and Finance Director David Bozanich – also approved a contract to provide transportation for employees of VXI Global Solutions Inc. who park at the Covelli Centre and approved modifications to agreements with V&M Star.
Baumann’s demolition bid was the lowest of five the city considered for the Paramount work. One bidder withdrew its bid and another did not completely fill out the bid package, rendering it nonresponsive.
Until late last year, city officials had intended to preserve the façade of the structure, which opened as the Liberty Theater in 1918 and has been mostly unoccupied since the 1970s, using $803,490 from the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund to keep that portion intact. The intent had been to restore the façade to use as the front of an amphitheater with a public space behind it for hosting food markets and other public events, and parking for city water department customers.
But the city subsequently learned an analysis by a structural engineering firm, Atlantic Engineering Services, Pittsburgh, indicated that preserving the façade would cost around $1.4 million. About $300,000 of the grant would have been available to preserve the façade, requiring the city to come up with the remaining $1.1 million.
The façade is “severely deteriorated,” said Chuck Shasho, city deputy engineer of public works, at the Board of Control meeting Thursday during which the contract was approved. “It was a lot of money for a risky project,” he remarked.
Once Baumann starts work, the company will have 120 days to complete the work, which will need to be performed at night, per Clean Ohio requirements, due to environmental concerns related to people working downtown during the day.
The board also approved a contract not to exceed $125,000 annually for Community Busing Inc., to provide shuttle service from the Covelli Centre lot to VXI’s call center in the city-owned 20 Federal Place building.
The contract is on a month-to-month basis, said Sean McKinney, city building and grounds director.
The city also is seeking bids for other options to provide parking spots for the VXI employees. The city is advertising for proposals April 1 and 8 for companies interested in providing 450 spaces, with the ability to expand to 700, for the downtown VXI employees. The parking spaces must be within walking distance to 20 Federal Place. The deadline for submitting bids is April 12.
“The original VXI contract said 700,” Sammarone said. “Sean has been negotiating with them and they agreed to 450 now but they may need the 700 so we’ve got to be able to go to 700.”
Additionally, the city approved modifications of its agreements with V&M related to its new pipe mill and finishing mill under development, projects valued at a combined $1 billion. One of the amendments stipulates that V&M would be reimbursed for the fair market value of any improvements it fully finances to make improvements to the property it is leasing from the city should the city sell that property. Another requires V&M’s consent before the city would enter into an agreement with a third-party railroad at the site, Bozanich said. A third item concerned a replatting issue.
Copyright 2013 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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