The first phase of housing on North Buffalo is well underway. The entire project also includes a plaza along Center Lake and a multi-use building nearby. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

WARSAW – Construction of the Buffalo Street Plaza project will begin next year after the city Board of Works and Safety approved a bid that was modified in scope.

The bid was awarded to Selge Construction, Niles, Mich., after officials determined another bid was incomplete and another had been submitted with errors, said City Plan Director Jeremy Skinner.

The bid was for $2,511,264, but was then reduced by nearly $500,000.

The three bids represent the second round of bids for the project, which was supposed to be constructed this summer. Those bids were rejected, but the three bids considered this month were also above the engineer’s estimate of $1.8 million.

Councilman Jeff Grose (R) makes a point while his colleague on the board of works, George Clemens listens. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

The plaza is one of several components in the Buffalo Street project and will be along the edge of Center Lake. Other parts of the project will include privately developed housing and a multi-use building.

Much of the plaza project – $1.6 million – will be funded with Regional Cities money through the state. The rest will come from the redevelopment commission (Tax Increment Finance revenues) and money from the economic development income tax.

The revised projected cost is now expected to be  $2,017,689.

Reduction in the cost of the project was done by eliminating a pavilion and changing the types of some materials used in the work, Skinner said. But at the same time, the city set aside $120,00 for a future pavilion (See the breakdown of changes in the bid at the bottom of this story).

The first phase of housing construction by developer Dave Matthews along Buffalo Street is already well underway and plans for the multi-use building are expected to be unveiled soon.

In three moves, the board approved the bid, the contract with Selge and a change order that reduced the project by $493,575.

“It’s important to get this done this year with the development that’s going on down there,” said Mayor Joe Thallemer, who is one of the three members of the board of works.

In other matters, the board:

• Approved a recommendation to award a bid for a new generator for city hall to MacAllister Power Systems, Fort Wayne, for $74,910. When installed, the power generator will allow city hall to serve as a center for activities in case of an emergency. Other bids included Stateline Power Corp., Greenville, OH, for $75,170 and EvaPar, Fort Wayne, for $88,335.
• Approved plans to purchase two dump trucks from Viking Cives Midwest, Missouri, that will cost $413,862 after a trade-in of a 1989 vehicle.
• Approved a request to accept a grant from K21 Health Foundation for $10,000 to be used to help fund a study of the trail system along Country Club Road. That money will be used to pay for part of a $14,000 feasibility study and design of the trail.
• Approved plans to purchase a new street sweeper for $299,593 from Brown Equipment Company, Fort Wayne.

Above is a sheet provided by the city of Warsaw showing changes in the bid for the plaza.