Hobby Lobby Construction Hits Setback at The Highlands in Ohio County
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WHEELING -- Construction on the Hobby Lobby at The Highlands has met a setback, causing a probable delay in the anticipated opening of the store.
Ohio County Administrator Greg Stewart informed County Development Authority members Tuesday that a concrete slab that was to serve as the foundation for the store didn't pass inspectors' tests, so it must be repoured. The work was done by a contractor working for Hobby Lobby and not for the county, he said.
Cold, wet weather and unexpected snow likely caused issues with the concrete, according to Stewart. The store had hoped to open next month.
"They're obviously not going to be open in March," Stewart said. "Redoing the slab is going to set them back a few weeks."
The county has yet to receive a revised construction schedule from Hobby Lobby, he said. When completed, the store will encompass 55,000 square feet.
Meanwhile, development authority members on Tuesday awarded nearly $13 million in construction contracts for the county's sports complex being built at The Highlands. The H.E. Neumann Co. of Triadelphia will receive $4,587,134 to do the mechanical, heating and air conditioning work, and another $1,332,541 to provide needed plumbing work.
Colaianni Construction of Dillonvale will be paid $2,970,000 for the carpentry work. Erb Electric of Wheeling will receive $2,414,500 to do the electrical work, and $275,000 to install access and security controls.
The Cast and Baker Corp. of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, will be paid $749,000 to pour the concrete for the floors, while S.A. Comunale of Akron, Ohio, will install sprinklers and fire protection equipment at a cost of $376,300. The Otis Elevator Co. of Yonkers, New York, will receive $128,700 for providing an elevator.
In most cases, the contractor awarded the contract was the only firm bidding on the job, according to Stewart. All bids did come in under projected cost estimates, he said.
The projects were marketed regionally and through Project BEST, Stewart said.
"We have reached out, but for whatever reasons (there was limited interest)," he said. "Our local guys are busy, and in some of these categories there aren't that many …
"The good news is even though we're used to getting two, three or four bids on all the projects we do, the bids we got came from local firms we all have worked with," he added. "We've had good experience with all these contractors."
The development authority also approved a lease agreement with Taco Bell, which will locate a restaurant at The Highlands.
Ohio County Commissioners met following the development authority meeting. Commissioners Randy Wharton and Don Nickerson were in attendance, while Commissioner Tim McCormick was absent due to the death this week of his brother Donald.
Stewart said he believed it was the first time in 23 years in office that McCormick had missed a commission meeting.
The commission meeting began with a public hearing for the Northern Panhandle Home Consortium program. Community Development Specialist Melissa Thompson said the consortium had a budget of $325,571 in 2018, and $244,000 was used to assist first-time homebuyers locally.
The program provides up to $10,000 to assist with the down payment and closing costs for low- and moderate-income first time homebuyers in the Northern Panhandle.