LHA votes to award $1.8M in bids for remodeling, roof work

LOWELL -- The Lowell Housing Authority board recently voted to award a combined $1.8 million to private contractors as a result of a public-bidding process for three construction projects.

The contracts will pay for kitchen and bath renovations at two different developments and roof work at a third.

The LHA will fund the work with fiscal 2012 capital funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to Chief Financial Officer Adam Garvey.

The LHA turned to a public-bidding process after HUD last year banned the LHA from using $2.2 million in unobligated 2012 capital funds on "force account" projects. Force account is when housing authorities use their own employees and no-bid union labor to perform work.

The LHA board voted at a special meeting last month to award the three contracts.

Charters Brothers Construction of Danville, N.H., was awarded $862,900 contract for kitchen and bathroom modernization work in 16 units at the George Flanagan Development.

The cost of the contract was within 1 percent of the independent cost estimate for the work, and Charters Brothers was the lowest of two bidders. The other bidder was Quality Contracting of Worcester.

Stallion Builders of Nashua, N.H., was awarded a $709,480 contract to provide kitchen and bathroom renovations in 24 units at the Francis Gatehouse development. Stallion Builders was the lowest of four bidders for the work and its proposal came more than $300,000 below the LHA's independent cost estimate for the work.

The other bidders were L&H Construction of Medford, Quality Contracting and Stutman Contracting of Oxford.

LHA Commissioner Tim Green asked if the contractors would pull permits while conducting the work, and LHA Executive Director Gary Wallace responded that they would pull all applicable permits.

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LHA votes to award $1.8M in bids for remodeling, roof work