NORTH BALTIMORE – Bids totalling more than $12 million for construction of the North Baltimore School
District’s 6-12 middle/high school were awarded Tuesday afternoon during a special meeting of the school
board.
The general trades package went to Studer-Obringer Inc. of New Washington, described by one company
representative at the meeting as "one of the rarer general contractors" because it does much
of the construction work itself of letting it out to sub-contractors.
Studer-Obringer’s bid for basic construction of the building, masonry, ironwork, carpentry, etc. was
$8,121,000.
Two bids provided by Vaughn Industries LLC of Carey were accepted, $1,857,000 for heating, ventilation
and air conditioning and $1,694,900 for electrical.
Hanks Plumbing & Heating Co. from Toledo will do plumbing contracting for $652,550.
Vulcan Enterprises, Inc., of Carey, is providing fire protection for $123,175.
Steve Hoyt, with Turner Lathrop, the company overseeing construction, said 31 bids were opened on Feb.
16: 12 for general trades, five for fire, three for plumbing, 6 HVAC and five electrical.
"It was a great turnout on bids. … Thirty-one is a good representation," he said.
Asked if ground-breaking at the site will begin in April, Superintendent Marlene North stated,
"Absolutely."
But project manager Jim Eckelberry interjected, "If not sooner."
Hoyt said the bids were over the projected budget for the project, but there are funds from the district
and the Ohio School Facilities Commission to cover the difference.