Erie begins Phase 1 work on Miller Brothers public‑safety site; low roof bidder under contract

Erie city consultants told the council that construction work has begun on Phase 1 of the Miller Brothers public‑safety project, with a roof replacement contract already signed and preconstruction work started.

The project team said the Phase 1 scope covers a roughly 22,000‑square‑foot Erie Fire Department service garage at 20 Third and French, including the chief mechanic bay, equipment cleaning area, an evidence room and a dog suite for K‑9 Horace, plus a complete replacement of the building envelope and energy‑efficiency upgrades.

“The idea is to replace the roof ahead of the rest of the project,” said Adam Tropp, presenting the schedule. Tropp said the city broke the roof out of the larger contract so the roof work could proceed before winter. “When we determine the date that they mobilize … we’re going to condense that,” he said, describing plans to limit disruption to the fire department’s current operations.

Consultants told the council the initial cost estimate from the firm Trophy Point in preliminary design was about $9 million; a later design‑development update came in at $8.4 million. After removing the roof scope and using the actual roof contract number, the Trophy Point figures for Phase 1 fall to about $7.7 million. The roof contract itself was substantially lower than the estimator’s roof allowance: the low bid was roughly $684,000 compared with Trophy Point’s roof allowance of about $1.4 million, and other roof bids clustered near $1.0–$1.1 million.

“We vetted the low bidder,” Tropp said. “We took the low bidder because they met all the requirements.” He told the council the contractor is a family‑owned firm that performs public works projects and that the city required performance and payment bonds at 100 percent coverage.

Tropp and a colleague outlined the Phase 1 construction timeline: a pre‑bid site visit was set for Sept. 11, bids for the remaining Phase 1 work are due Oct. 2, and the roof contractor’s work is targeted for completion between early December and the contract end date of Dec. 29, weather permitting. The team cautioned there will be some weeks of off‑site activity while shop drawings and roof panels are manufactured. The roof panel manufacturer named in the presentation is Falk, based in Michigan; the team said Falk’s lead times were substantially shorter than other suppliers.

Environmental testing was also discussed. Consultants completed a Phase 1 environmental analysis for the broader site (a report of roughly 700 pages was shared with council), and they performed targeted testing for the 20,000‑square‑foot area in Phase 1. Presenters said they tested about 19–20 material types. Findings specific to the service garage included disposal requirements for HID and fluorescent light fixtures, a small mold condition in a west mezzanine that could require worker protections, and detectable lead in portions of the existing metal siding and roofing.

“These bidders own all this, and the contractor owns appropriately removing those materials,” Tropp said, noting contractors must comply with OSHA and prevailing‑wage rules on public projects. He added that the contractor will determine abatement and removal methods and that those responsibilities were reflected in contract documents.

Project team members said they expect limited public impacts: French Street is not anticipated to close, but East 20th Street could be affected if a crane is required to remove a twisted steel girder embedded in the old roof structure. Short sidewalk closures for scaffold work were allowed in the bid documents with instructions to provide safe pedestrian routes near the schools.

Council members and staff emphasized worker health improvements from the retrofit, including upgraded ventilation and exhaust capture in the garage to reduce diesel and particulate exposure for mechanics. Presenters said the renovated envelope and new insulation (five‑inch roof panels and a three‑inch wall system) are intended to reduce long‑term operational costs.

Remaining Phase 1 bids for the non‑roof work are due Oct. 2; the project team will return with bid results for council consideration.