After the bid approval process was put on hold on June 26, the Knox Board of Public Works was able to approve the bid for the demolition of the old Knox theater and the former office of the Starke County Economic Development Foundation in the downtown area at their meeting yesterday morning. The process was postponed due to the discovery of asbestos in the two buildings, as the board learned that the federal wage would have to be used by bidders.
A representative of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs informed Territorial Engineers of the situation, who then informed the four bidders that their bids would not be submitted as the wage system will have to reflect the federal Davis-Bacon wage system.
Only one bidder returned a bid for the project following the change in the wage system; Richard Brothers of South Bend submitted a bid for $76,306 for general demolition and abatement of asbestos. The board approved a motion to accept the bid pending approval from Territorial Engineering, the Starke County Economic Development Foundation and the city attorney.
