Mar 22, 2016 By Steve Ferris sferris@heraldstandard.Com 3 min read

CONNELLSVILLE — The Connellsville Redevelopment Authority on Monday awarded $75,500 contract to demolish the dilapidated WCVI building on Crawford Avenue.

Authority board members unanimously voted to award the contract to Stash Trucking of Uniontown.

Stash is working on another project, but is expected to start tearing down WCVI in the next 30 days and finish it in 90 days, said Michael Edwards, authority executive director.

The award was contingent upon the contractor posting bond and providing proof of insurance.

Money for the demolition and engineering costs are coming from a $150,000 grant for property acquisition and demolition the authority received from the Hillman Foundation of Pittsburgh in June, Edwards said.

Five contractors submitted quotes for the demolition last month. The four other quotes ranged from $146,225 to $227,215.

The authority paid Widmer Engineering of Connellsville $7,600 to prepare the project specifications, which included two options for rebuilding a wall along one side and the rear of the building.

Each contractor submitted quotes for both options, and the authority selected the second option because it left more room for parking, which the next owner would need, Edwards said.

“When we’re done, we’re looking to sell it,” Edwards said.

Most lots in the city are assessed at $10,000, but the authority considers potential buyers’ planned use for the lot in addition to their offers when selling the property, he said.

The lot is zoned for commercial use and could be used for offices and apartments, he added.

The new wall will be built using large stones and the lot will be covered with gravel following the demolition. The goal is to make the lot ready for development, he said.

During demolition, the sidewalk in front of the building will remain closed, and South Carnegie Avenue, the alley adjacent to the building, will probably have to be closed, he said.

The contractor will need a demolition permit from the city and another one from Fayette County Uniform Construction Code Administration because the structure is a commercial building, Edwards said.

Stash’s quote of $77,500 was the least expensive of the quotes for the first option. The other quotes ranged from $132,250 to $209,549.

The authority purchased the property for $1,000 using the same grant from a New Jersey man who bought it in a Fayette County repository sale last year. The city health board declared the building an imminent threat to public health and safety.

In unrelated business, Edwards said the authority has grant money for $1,000 scholarships toward the cost commercial drivers license (CDL) training.

Grants have been approved for six people, but none of them has claimed the money, he said.

The authority until June to distribute eight $1,000 scholarships from a grant it received from Chevron for workforce development.

Applications are available on the authority’s website.