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Veterans park hits snag in bidding process
(by Sue Reid - June 24, 2009)
Veterans park hits snag in bidding process
By SUE REID
Some minor setbacks have occurred in the initial bidding process for a veterans park project in Solon, Assistant Public Works Director David Hromco said last week.
The setbacks have caused the city to rebid certain portions of the work, specifically the granite monuments and the masonry, including the precast masonry for the gazebo, Mr. Hromco said.
"Both of these contracts represent specialty items, which not everyone will bid on," he said. "We're trying to work through that at this point in time and seeking additional bids.
"We expect to get this project on track very shortly," Mr. Hromco said. "It is our intention to put a park together by November of this year. Hopefully, we won't have to add parts of it later on."
The cost estimate for the entire park project is $686,000.
At its last meeting, City Council's safety and public properties committee approved rejecting the bids for monument stones for the project, because they came in more than 10 percent higher then the engineer's estimate. Original estimates for the monuments were in the $95,000 range, and the low bid came in at $118,900.
There are two components to the monument bids, Mr. Hromco said. One is creating the foundations for the new monuments, and the other is the monuments themselves. They include 10 foundations, including seven for new granite monuments and three for old monuments from the original park that are to be re-established in new one. The seven new monuments, representing the various branches of the armed service, would be part of that. That includes the engraving on them as well as the delivery and installation.
Mr. Hromco said the city is in the process of re-bidding the masonry work and should be opening bids this week. The city also is re-advertising for bids for the monuments and "the rest of the park should follow shortly," he said.
So far, the city has worked with the gas company to relocate a gas line that was in the way of the new improvement. The city also has relocated an underground waterline away from the area where the city is going to be putting the improvements into the park. A sewer line also was moved to make way for some of the improvements. In addition, a large pin oak tree has been moved from the center portion of the park to the southeast corner, Mr. Hromco said.
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