Project draws 4 bids

Broadway Streetscape estimated to cost more than $3.94M

Four construction companies turned in bids hoping to guide the makeover coming to Lorain’s main street.

The Broadway streetscape project drew bids from four contractors who submitted the plans and paperwork in hopes of scoring the job.

The project is estimated to cost more than $3.94 million.

“We are excited about today’s bid opening,” said Mayor Chase Ritenauer. “It signifies a major step in creating the Broadway of the future.

“So much effort and work went into getting to today. While far from complete, we are on our way.”

Based on the bid opening, the apparent low

bidder was Karvo Companies, which submitted a project price of $3.73 million.

The other bidders and bids were: • Perk Co., $3.89 million • Speer Bros. Inc., $3.93 million

• Fabrizi Trucking & Paving Co., $4.99 million

Although there is an apparent low bidder, the company is not guaranteed to get the job.

City engineering, legal and financial staff will review the paperwork to ensure everything is in order, said City Engineer Dale Vandersommen.

The project involves grant money administered by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency. Because of that, the city also will consult with the Ohio Department of Transportation to examine the bid documents, Vandersommen

said.

Once those checks take place, the Engineering Department will draft a city ordinance to award the job. City Council will consider the ordinance and, if approved, the city Board of Control, made up of Ritenauer and Safety-Service Director Dan Given, also will approve the contract.

Although the bids are in, construction will not immediately start.

Much of the actual installation of new sidewalks, lights and signage will take place in 2019, Vandersommen said.

However, depending on timing, work could start this year to fill in the underground vaults basement buildings that extend under the sidewalks on Broadway, he said.

The project includes an alternate addition to rebuild the sidewalk north of the Broadway Building, from Broadway to the Charles Berry Bascule

Bridge, to match that of the streetscape, Vandersommen said.

Radhika Reddy, of Ariel Ventures LLC, will pay for the cost of that addition, he said.

The bid due date at first was Sept. 14, but that was pushed back a week to allow the city to publish answers to questions that contractors had about the streetscape plans.

Most of the questions dealt with technical details about the new sidewalks, lights and signs.

The city addendum to the bid documents clarified the name of the street.

“The main project route is named BROADWAY,” the city clarification said. “The street shall have no suffix. There is conflicting information in the public, field, records and in the plans pertaining to the road suffix.

“For the purposes of these plans, including production of anything physical like signs, the name of the road is BROADWAY.”