Lorain County Regional Airport hangar to get new, nearly $1 million roof

A LaGrange company was awarded a more than $960,000 contract Friday to replace the roof on the main hangar at the Lorain County Regional Airport in New Russia Township, the county Board of Commissioners announced. It was one of more than two-dozen contracts the board awarded Friday, and included in a discussion about how to get more private construction firms to bid on county-funded projects. Commissioners said the new hangar roof should help bring in more revenue at the airport, 44050 Russia Road. The airport is funded by user fees with some other funding from the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA. 5K Commercial Roofing of LaGrange won the $962,960 contract for the work, which will start on or before Sept. 1 and be finished within 300 days, or in about 10 months. SONA Construction was the only other contractor to compete, bidding $1.2 million according to board documents. Commissioners have been vocal about trying to get more local companies to bid on county business and construction projects. Asked by Commissioner David Moore, a Republican, whether the airport currently has the money to cover the cost, county Fiscal Director KC Saunders said that was still to be determined. The roof work isn't eligible for FAA reimbursement, Deputy County Administrator Karen Perkins said. Still, "by fixing the roof, (we) will be able to increase our revenue because we'll be able to house more planes, actually be able to house smaller planes in the right hanger and bigger planes in the bigger hangar," Perkins said. Holes in the hangar roof "have been a deterrent for some folks to using our main hangar space," she told the board. "This is a project in the queue for a very, very, very long time." The board also awarded a $729,631 contract to Fechko Excavating of Medina for the Janell Drive sewer extension project in Columbia Township. The work involves installing approximately 1,560 feet of 8-inch sewer, 1,200 feet of force main, a sanitary pump station and sanitary sewer laterals by June 15, 2026. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District will reimburse the county Engineer's Office up to 50 percent of the project cost or $366,850 when the project is completed. Fabrizi Trucking & Paving of Middleburg Heights had the higher of the two bids, at $797,000. The board also awarded a $244,388 contract to Marks Construction of Valley City for the Law Road Ditch restoration project in Grafton Township. Nine bidders showed interest, but Marks was one of only two to submit a bid, officials said. For months, Commissioners Marty Gallagher and Jeff Riddell, both Republican businessmen, have been urging department heads in county offices to get more contractors and private businesses to bid on county projects. They did so again Friday when commissioners approved 16 home renovation projects using federally-sourced Community Housing Impact & Preservation, or CHIP program, and state Lead Safe Ohio funds for low-to-moderate-income homeowners who applied to have their homes rehabilitated and lead removed. Gallagher said he supported the programs and has seen improvement, but voted "no" on several contracts with only single bidders. He suggested finding more contractors to do the work, saying he had given officials a list of 900 contracting firms. "I get it, we're working on it, and I'm OK with it, I'll make exceptions to it, but when it comes down to this, you guys gotta do a better job," he said. Community Development Coordinator Dave Greenspan said a handful of additional contractors have gone through the federal government's approval process to be able to bid on CHIP projects. Additional contractor information meetings are scheduled in October and January, he said. Greenspan is sending a survey to the 39 contractors who participated in walk-throughs of the CHIP and Lead Safe projects approved Friday to find out why more of them didn't submit bids. The CHIP and Lead Safe Ohio programs bring income tax-eligible work to Lorain County and increase property values, which means increased property tax collection, Greenspan said. "I welcome the opportunity to have more bidders," to work on federal- and state-funded grant programs, he said. "My intent is to spend every dollar that's afforded to Lorain County." Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com