Gary board approves repairs to stretch of 25th Avenue
By Michael GOnzalez Post-Tribune correspondent October 24, 2012 2:10PM
Updated: November 26, 2012 7:13AM
GARY — Work should begin next month on a $300,000 project to repair a long stretch of the west end of 25th Avenue in a four-stage project the Board of Public Works and Safety approved Wednesday.
In a busy meeting, the board also accepted bids for rehab work on the Brunswick Pavilion, threw out bids for extensive work on the Hudson-Campbell Fitness Center and awarded a contract to a Merrillville group to work for the city of Gary Community Development Department.
Gary-based Reith-Riley, which lands many city projects, beat out Day’s Asphalt, and Walsh and Kelly for the 25th Avenue job. The work will be done in four phases, with the first running from Clark Road west to Burr Street. Next, the company will resurface 25th Avenue from Calhoun Street to Colfax Street, followed by working from Colfax Street west to Stevenson Street.
The final phase will run from Sherman Street to Blaine Street The stretch from Stevenson Street to Sherman Street was completed last year. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ complete overhaul of 25th Avenue — from drainage to curbs and sidewalks — between Burr and Calhoun streets is planned for 2013.
While Community Development expected to do cosmetic work and rehab the Hudson-Campbell to make it compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, the department declined to accept any of the bids opened at a recent board meeting. Most of those bids exceeded $1 million, well beyond the roughly $400,000 to $500,000 in federal HUD funds available for the work.
The board also voted to modify a contract with ADA Enterprises, an area construction firm working on the city’s Fire Station No. 5. After the company began work, it discovered “structural defects” in the building that couldn’t be addressed with the awarded contract, said Board of Works member and City Controller Celita Green.
The board awarded The Arsh Group, which has done work throughout Lake County, a $14,600 contract to do consulting work and prepare a 2013 action plan to be presented to HUD, Community Development’s primary funding source. The Arsh Group will be expected to compile an action plan, narratives and analyses and attend meetings on the department’s behalf.
Finally, a review of the weekly claims showed the city has already paid $19,685 to RTR Management to repair the passenger elevator in City Hall. RTR removed the working motor from the building’s freight elevator and transferred it to the passenger elevator so it could work on the unit, said Public Works Director Cloteal LaBroi.
The motor will be transferred back to the freight elevator after the work on the passenger side is completed in about two weeks, she said.
The board also voted to advertise for rates on repairing curbs and sidewalks in spots around Gary. Just as the city last week awarded an $85,000 contract to Reith-Riley to supply materials like binders and surfacing material in bulk, to be used as needed, the city will look for the best bids on cost-per-square-foot basis to redo curbs and sidewalks.
The city also announced its annual auto auctions, which will run back-to-back on Dec. 1. The auction will kick off at 8 a.m. at Republic Frame and Axle, 7500 Melton Road. Immediately afterward, the auction will move to Affordable Towing, 1375 E. Ridge Road, followed by auctions at Hugh’s Towing, 1148 Colfax St.; S&S Towing at 3651 W. 4th Ave.; and Bennie’s Towing at 2610 W. 10th Ave.
