Uniontown parking garage opening delayed
The opening of the $4 million parking garage in downtown Uniontown has been pushed back to Nov. 30 because of changes in the project, some unfinished interior work and other delays. Construction started in October 2005 and was supposed to be finished by July 30 this year.
However, the initial plans – which called for a $3.4 million 220-space, 31/2-story structure – were changed in May when Uniontown City Council obtained an additional $600,000 in state money to add about 50 more parking spaces.
The expansion meant the garage would not be finished until Sept. 30, but the unfinished work will delay the opening until the end of November, city Councilman Bob Cerjanec said.
Structurally, the garage is complete, but overall, it’s about 90 percent finished, Cerjanec said.
Next week, workers will begin removing a concrete vehicle ramp on Peter Street because it lies at too steep of an angle. A car’s undercarriage would scrape on the pavement when entering or exiting, Cerjanec said. Another ramp will be built at a slightly lesser angle.
The pay station and entry and exit gates are not finished and parking space lines have not been painted.
Some of the steel and cement blocks that were used to build the garage were delivered late and the weather also caused a couple delays, Cerjanec said.
The contractor, Concrete Preservation Systems Inc. (CPS) of Pittsburgh, has only a reduced staff working at the site because the major construction work is done, he said.
Change orders so far have totaled around $14,000 and at least one more change order will be needed, Cerjanec said. City Council has to approve change orders.
He said change orders for large-scale construction projects total 10 percent of the construction cost, but change orders for the garage will total less than half of one percent.
“With the magnitude of this project, 10 percent would be normal,” Cerjanec said.
City code enforcement officer and fire chief Myron Nypaver said city officials; CPS; representatives from Fay-Penn Economic Development Council, the project administrator; and architectural firm Churches Consulting Engineers of Claysville have spent about 500 hours so far inspecting the work and reviewing the project in weekly meetings.
Nypaver said he has not yet performed the final building inspection or issued an occupancy permit.
The city will not accept ownership until the garage passes the final inspection and the occupancy permit is issued, Cerjanec said.
Until then, CPS is responsible for the garage, he said.