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City set to reject bids for roof replacement at the downtown mall

By Howard B. Owens

The City of Batavia is likely to reject all three bids it received for roof repair work on the City Centre Mall because they all came in over budget and Public Works Director Matt Worth thinks the city can do better by revising the bid specifications and attracting smaller contractors to the job.

The City Council will be asked to reject the bids at its next business meeting after being briefed at Monday night's conference meeting.

The work on the roof is part of the lawsuit settlement agreement with the Mall Merchants Association.

The original bid specifications including not just replacing the flat roof area, but also removing and roofing over the skylights and reroofing the entryway silos.

While it made sense at the time the bid package went out to include those features, Worth said, the heavy wind of winter storms have filled up the spring and early summer schedule of roofers in the region, especially those who do warranty work.

That left fewer smaller contractors available to bid on a project with a larger scope.

The largest contractors in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse submitted bids of $1.42 million, $1.67 million, and $2.25 million, which are all over budget.

A new bid package will be released that makes replacement of the flat roof one project, with minor repairs around the skylights and the skylights. Silos will be bid out at a later date.

Sammy DiSalvo

I wish I had been alive before that side of Main Street burned and was knocked down. I would've much preferred to have Main Street look as it did back then than to have the City Center.

Apr 24, 2019, 9:19am Permalink
Tim Miller

Sam - it was a different creature. My mother worked for Alexanders in one of the buildings town down to build the mall. Alexanders moved across the street to a new building, but due to various economic issues the store closed years later. I remember seeing the new mall and thinking "monstrosity" and "butt-ugly". But then, I remember thinking the same thing when I visited Batavia in December...

Apr 24, 2019, 12:09pm Permalink
Ray Richardson

I remember it. If there are any living members of the "Urban Renewal Agency" still alive they should spend their remaining years in prison for what they did.

Apr 24, 2019, 3:26pm Permalink
Tim Miller

4 negatives? What - you LIKE the appearance of the Genessee Country Mall rather than the classic vies of those old building? That mall has never been pretty. (not a comment on the rest of Batavia - I love visiting there)

egads - I hope there's a Lenscrafters in the mall. Lots of folks need it.

Apr 24, 2019, 9:54pm Permalink

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