Construction of a new administration building for the Altoona Water Authority could move into full swing next month with contracts awarded Thursday for the project.
The authority, by a 4-0 vote with one absention, awarded $4.3 million worth of contracts.
Site work for the new building at Ninth Street and Chestnut Avenue already has started.
Authority member William Geis said board members were pleasantly surprised when they totaled the bottom line on the bids.
"The bids were about right," he said after the meeting at the authority's Greenwood office.
The contractors who will do the work on the 15,000-square-foot brick structure are mostly local.
Ralph J. Albarano & Sons Inc. of Duncansville submitted the low bid as the general contractor at $2.9 million.
Season-Aire Inc., also of Duncansville, submitted a bid of $595,000 for the heating.
Architect David B. Albright, who presented the bids, said another company submitted a bid of $557,700 for the heating but it was rejected because it did not contain information about the contractor's experience with similar projects.
Montgomery Brothers of Altoona received the plumbing contract at $206,000, and Bonder Technical Services of Butler was awarded the electrical contract at $627,400.
The building will be located on what authority members said was a historical plot of ground.
"Altoona started on that corner," Geis said.
Authority members Geis, Maurice A. Lawruk, Patrick J. Dumm and Tony Ruggery voted to award the contracts while member Tom Martin abstained. Martin said his company does business with Albarano's firm.
Mirror Staff Writer Phil Ray is at 946-7468.
