The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Chardon awards gazebo restoration project
Local company donating services, materials to ease construction cost
Ayrshire Inc. was a young business when it provided steel work to recreate the bandstand on Chardon Square.
“We have lived here all our lives. We thought it was the right thing to do.” — Ayrshire President Randall Darling
Ayrshire Inc. was a young business when it got the job to provide steel work to recreate the bandstand on Chardon Square in the early 1980s.
Taking part in that project is among the reasons the company offered to help with the latest renovation of the gazebo — free of charge.
Ayrshire is donating an estimated $60,000 worth of in-kind labor and materials toward the project, which originally came in over-bid.
“We have lived here all our lives,” said Ayrshire President Randall Darling, adding that the business office is located in the city as well. “We thought it was the right thing to do.”
The lion’s share of the project is being done by JP Interiors, Inc., based in Johnsburg, Illinois.
City Council on Aug. 20 accepted JP’s lone bid of $137,500 for the work, which the architect had estimated at $125,000.
“JP Interiors has successfully completed projects for private owners on Chardon Square, including the interior buildout of Square Bistro and Bella Cucina,” Chardon Engineer Doug Courtney said in a report to council. “Additionally, JP Interiors has performed work on Geauga Lyric Theater.”
This is the second time the project has been bid. JP Interiors was the lone bidder last time as well, with a lump sum offer of $277,200.
Courtney recommended that the bid documents be reviewed and updated to include a detailed proposal form before rebidding. In addition, a meeting was held with bid holders to explain the project in an attempt to bring the cost down.
City officials expressed gratitude to Ayrshire for its contribution.
“Does anyone remember a $60,000 in-kind donation to the city recently, because that seems to be almost a record-setter,” Councilman Christopher Grau said.
City Manager Randy Sharpe noted the Geauga Maple Festival’s $100,000 donation to construction of the Heritage House on the square.
It has been about two years since Council’s Service Committee began discussing upgrades for the gazebo. In 2018, the city contracted with Oravec Design Build LLC for a visual inspection and condition summary.
The timeline for the project is as follows:
• This week, city staff will secure the perimeter around the gazebo with caution fencing.
• Aug. 31, JP Interiors will begin to perform selective demolition to expose interior column material for structural inspection and measurement.
• Sept. 7, Ayrshire Inc. will measure and fabricate column material.
• Sept. 14, Ayrshire will begin structural rehabilitation of the columns using the existing foundations and creating new moment connections in the upper portion of the gazebo roof. JP will continue to remove the exterior woodwork, salvaging pieces necessary for recreating the ornate woodwork using modern materials.
• October will primarily be used for installation of the new woodwork items, roof repairs and painting.
The final item to be completed will be a natural stone or an epoxy coating for the existing concrete slab. This work is weatherand temperature-dependent, and may have to be completed in the spring, city Public Service Director Paul Hornyak said.
Councilwoman Deborah Chuha asked whether it would be done in time to hang holiday decor on the structure.
“I hope that it is open at the end of October,” Hornyak said.