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STEUBENVILLE -- Jefferson County commissioners on Thursday discussed an unexpected cost increase to improvements at the Towers and probably the end to an appeal of a terminated grant which would have helped the Brilliant Water and Sewer District.
Commissioners are spending $3.5 million on improvements to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at the Towers, 500 Market St., and for a new roof.
The commissioners were recently informed the city's building inspector is requiring additional fire proofing above drop ceilings. The contract with Cattrell Cos. said any openings made in walls had to be sealed with fire proofing, but the prior owners of the building put holes in the walls above the ceiling which the building inspector says now must also be sealed. Those areas weren't discovered until construction began.
Commissioners and their architect, McKinley & Associates of Wheeling, negotiated a cost with Cattrell and agreed to pay an additional $288,696. Tim Mizer of McKinley said the contractor's original cost estimate was $190,000 higher.
Commissioner David Maple asked why the building's former owners weren't required by the building inspector to seal the holes when they were made. Maple said the county never received the order from the building inspector in writing.
Commissioner Tom Gentile said, in the long run, it will be positive because it gives the building extra fire protection.
Commissioner Thomas Graham said there was a dispute with the contractor, who believed the extra fire sealing was part of the contract.
Mizer said the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are nearly complete. He said the extra works extends completion of the project until April or May.
Maple said tenants have been putting up with the disruption for too long.
Graham announced he talked with U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, about an appeal of the $500,000 Community Development Block Grant for Brilliant being lost. The former director of the county regional planning commission didn't complete an environmental review of the project prior to work beginning on the new Brilliant water plant. As a result, the planning commission lost the federal grant.
Graham said Johnson informed him an appeal of the grant probably won't be successful.