There was only one bidder for the project. In Albany NY which in a Metro area of 1.1 million means that there must be full employment and every contractor is going full blast and cant be bothered with a 15,000,000 train station. Time to open the bids for outta state contractors.
see-As of the 2010 census,[171] there were 97,856 people residing in the city.[171] The population of the census area in 2009 was estimated to be 1,170,483.[3][179]
The city of buffola has done a great job redeveloping its lake front. Its time to come up with a creative solution for buffola central station. If not the city will lose another significant building. Being short sited resulted in the loss of NYC Penn station, Cleveland UNION terminal, st louis union station and a host of other of the great station's. It time to make it a reality.
ROBERT WILLISON The city of buffola has done a great job redeveloping its lake front. Its time to come up with a creative solution for buffola central station. If not the city will lose another significant building. Being short sited resulted in the loss of NYC Penn station, Cleveland UNION terminal, st louis union station and a host of other of the great station's. It time to make it a reality.
Where is this city of buffola, of which you speak?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Now here's the part from the article linked in the Original Post that I find depressing:
"The new station would replace a 1970s-era station that many visitors find dingy and uninspiring.
The design of the new station was inspired by the architecture of the former Union Station, which was built in 1910, in a far grander style than the current station. Union Station was demolished to make way for the current station.
If the project goes forward, work is expected to take at least 18 months. A temporary station would be built, followed by demolition of the old station and then construction of the new facility."
Count 'em - how many stations ?
Reading that article, the one bid may have been the contractor's version of a lottery ticket: "Let's bid real high so that if no one else bids and we do get it, we make a lot of money."
There must have been invitations or other contacts to qualified contractors in the area, plus the required published notices, and a pre-bid meeting. That no one else bid is a sure sign of something wrong. As a post above noted, perhaps the owner or architect has such a bad reputation - or the contract terms were so one-sided and onerous - that all the qualified contractors decided not to bother with it.
A detailed analysis of the prices for each of the major items would be informative, too. What was the Pentagon buying a few decades ago - $700 toilet seats and $600 hammers ? Any savvy bidder knows to find an item with a small estimated quantity that is expected to increase greatly, and to put in a high price per unit on it - at extremes, an "unbalanced bid". It won't boost the total amount at the bidding stage because of the small quantity - but at the payment stage, when the actual quantities are much larger, it sure will.
- Paul North.
Paul North- Now it makes sence. Look here I lobbied myself to Metroplex and Schenctady City Council on this that if you are going to redo downtown and have people move here you need a train station that you can feel safe dropping your daughter off to college to. It took 10 years. rail progress is snails pace and we may be in heaven by the time anything gets done.
Tends to be 'gold-plated' too, in my experience. Sometimes really nice, sometimes an extravagance. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
Paul_D_North_JrReading that article, the one bid may have been the contractor's version of a lottery ticket: "Let's bid real high so that if no one else bids and we do get it, we make a lot of money."
Reminds me of a method the Italians supposedly used for weeding out bids - throw out the highest, as that contractor is clearly looking for a gravy train. Throw out the lowest because that one clearly left something out, then average the rest and pick the one in the middle...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Here is what you get in South Carolina for 6 Million in a right to work state-
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20101005/PC1602/310059935
BTW I am pro-union but dont like the crony capitalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crony_capitalism that union states breed like IL (Super Subway Station that was never finished) and NY State (Subway Stations that cost billions of dollers) More on Chicago Super Station <script type="text/javascript" charset="UTF-8" src="http://www.nbcchicago.com/portableplayer/?cmsID=293779571&videoID=pqJ1scS4a93E&origin=nbcchicago.com&sec=investigations&subsec=&width=600&height=360"></script>
CandOforprogress2Here is what you get in South Carolina for 6 Million in a right to work state-
Actually, they've lined up $7.5 million, which represents 85% of the total cost.
That's still pretty good for the project they seem to have come up with.
In today's News on this site, one reads that Hicksville on the LI RR will receive a $120 million "modernization."
There was a considerable amount of scoffing and outrage here in mid-April over Schnectady and Albany station costs. How about over Hicksville?
I think part of the Hicksville project is to prepare for 9.8 miles of new main line track.
http://www.amodernli.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/LIRR_Expansion_Project_Scoping_Document.pdf
Excerpt from MTA press release
Hicksville modernization is really two projects in one, the complete rehabilitation of the 55 year-old station at a cost of $68.8 million and construction of the Hicksville North Track Siding at the west end the station at a cost of $52.4 million. The North Track Siding will be built by the LIRR’s workforce. Railroad Construction Company/Citnalta will handle the station renovation and prepare the North Track Siding site.
The station upgrades include new platforms with glass-enclosed, heated waiting rooms, lighting, translucent canopy roof, stairways, escalators, plaza elevators, a video security system, audio and digital communications systems and signage. MTA Arts & Design plans artist designed ceramic mosaic murals and laminated art glass. If construction begins this summer, the station work should be done by spring 2018.
The North Siding will connect Track 1 at Hicksville to an existing track siding situated about one-half mile west of the station platform. The siding will improve the Railroad's ability to reroute trains in the event of maintenance, construction or service disruptions.
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