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Youngstown Seeks Bid for Steel, Concrete at Convocation Center"
By George NelsonYOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Bids will be opened Aug. 31 for the structural steel and pre-cast concrete packages for the Youngstown Convocation Center. At a pre-bid meeting held this morning at City Hall, 11 vendors took out bid packages for the work. The structural steel package covers the framework of the $41 million project. The pre-cast concrete is used for the risers and seating. "It is two separate packages but we always give the subcontractors the opportunity to do a combination bid if it's more cost-effective," said project manager Michael W. Perry of Dallas-based Hunt Construction Group. "We want the best value for the city."Work began following a June groundbreaking for the convocation center, which the city is developing in partnership with Global Entertainment Corp. of Phoenix. The city received a $26.8 million federal grant for the project through the efforts of former U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. of Poland. The city hopes to raise $14 million from private investors and local supporters of the project.Perry said he was pleased with the turnout at today's pre-bid meeting. "We always like to see a large group. Hopefully we'll get very competitive numbers," he said. He also praised the efforts of the subcontractors now working at the site, and said he was happy with the quality of the work. He noted that contractors were at work even in the rain earlier this week. "We are right were we need to be schedule wise," he remarked. "Progress is just incredible. They're really going the extra mile."Project officials are continuing to evaluate bid packages for plumbing and elevator contracts for the site. Both packages will be bid for a third time following Wednesday's bid opening, when proposals for the plumbing work came in higher than expected and no one submitted a bid for the elevator work.Perry said project officials are reviewing the scope of the plumbing work or to see if material items were added to the package that would account for the difference in the first and second bid openings. He said they are still reviewing the elevator package. According to Perry, some vendors may be objecting to language in the contract with the city, though he wasn't sure what the problems might be. "Elevator companies look at contract language very closely," he said. "It'll take a few days to figure out exactly what objections they had." Perry has said the project can continue for another two or three months before there would be a problem in not having plumbing and elevator work in place. He expects to seek new bids for the work next week.So far, city officials have awarded contracts totaling more than $3 million for the $41 million convocation center. Visit the Youngstown Convocation Center at www.youngstownconvocationcenter.comContact George Nelson at [email protected]"