Contracts get nod for new building

Public health building contracts total $6.8M to replace facility

Lorain County commissioners awarded contracts Oct. 31 that will begin work on a new Lorain County Public Health District facility.

The four contracts total $6,791,873 and were given to three Ohio contractors and one out of Missouri to replace the district’s current facility on Middle Ridge Road in Elyria.

Lorain County Administrator James Cordes said the project is a collaboration between the commissioners and the health department. The commissioners are offering their expertise in construction oversight.

“The health department does a great job, they’re a great partner, but they don’t really put up a lot of buildings or do this kind of facility work,” he said.

Cordes said the county has agreed to coordinate construction and bidding and also to provide passthrough financing for what the health department doesn’t pay for in cash.

“The health department has saved for a number of years for this building, so they’ve done their due diligence to make sure they have a good amount of cash funding for the building,”

he said. “Also we’re going to do some bonding for the remainder of the cost of the building.”

Seitz Builders, of Broadview Heights, is receiving more than $4.8 million for general contracting, including a retractable awning and transaction window. Sona Construction, of Cleveland, is receiving $361,000 for plumbing and fire protection.

Lucas Plumbing & Heating, of Lorain, is receiving $925,000 for HVAC work. Electrical Corporation of America, of Raytown, Mo.,

will receive $698,873 for electrical work, including for the retractable awning.

The work is scheduled to begin Nov. 7 and will be completed within one year.

Cordes said the department’s current building and parking lot will be demolished.

Lorain County Facilities Management Director Karen Davis said the employees will continue to use the old building until the new building, which will be built on the same parcel of land, is completed.

In other news, the commissioners approved and entered into an engineering services contract with K.E. McCartney & Associates, of Mansfield for $45,900 for lateral televising and system analysis of the Cresthaven Homes Subdivision in Elyria Township.

Cordes said there have been a “multitude of problems” in the subdivisions with infiltration water entering into the sanitary sewer system. This contract is to send cameras into the

laterals within the sewer.

“We know it’s the laterals because we relined almost all of those sewers in almost every subdivision a while back,” he said. “It’s been a tedious process to get these laterals in place.”

The commissioners also approved a trio of contracts with Fab-Willis Services, of Medina, for $1,100 a piece to replace sanitary sewer lateral at three homes in Eaton Township.

Cordes said these are forced repairs because the owners refuse to comply with lateral legislation.

“The health department has saved for a number of years for this building, so they’ve done their due diligence to make sure they have a good amount of cash funding for the building.”

— Lorain County Administrator James Cordes