It's Our Money. Tell Us What It's Paying For.

Of the seven bidding firms, only two have already filled out our survey. The other five, Grace Industries, Lomma Construction, Shamrock Materials, Beaver Concrete Construction and Paul Scariano, aren't returning my calls. I even spoke to live people at a few of the companies.

The truth is they don't have to talk to me. But it certainly would be nice for taxpayers if they would.

Eltingville's Existing Construction Project?

When I visited the Eltingville Park and Ride, I was surprised to find that a significant portion of the parking lot was already wrapped with chain link, separating it from a construction site about two football fields large. There were tractors, trucks, large mobile offices, all signs of a project in motion - but no workers. The company doing the work was Beaver Concrete Construction, one of the 7 bidding firms. Also one that is currently ignoring my calls and emails.

I spoke with a few bus drivers hanging out at transit center and none of them knew what was going on it the lot. Or where the additional spots would go.

What is going on is the existing Elingville construction site?

UPDATE from the NY DoT
"The work you see at the site now is associated with a nearby project. While we are replacing a nearby pedestrian bridge, the contractor on that job has been using the site to keep his equipment and materials, what we call a staging area. He will vacate the area in time for the park-and-ride work to begin."

A First! One Bidder Completes Our Survey

After about 3 weeks of emails and phone calls, I finally got my eight questions answered by one of the bidding firms thanks to some help from the NY Department of Transportation's press department and the cooperation of the firm's owner.

Difazio Industries

1) You had the lowest bid at $2.3 million. Why is your bid lower than others? Why would the government go with a higher bid?

We are a Staten Island based company and utilized the hometown advantage when putting together our estimate for this project. Generally that results in a lower overall mark-up on the project.

2) How old is your firm?

DiFazio Industries is 5 years old. However we bring over 30 years of heavy/ highway construction experience. Our parents original company was started in 1979 and we started DiFazio Industries in 2004 and began to implement a exit strategy so they can retire.

3) How many employees did you have on January 1, 2009? How many do you have now?

As of January ’09 we had 72 employees, as of today we have 88

4) How many employees will be working on this project? Will you hire any?

Our estimate calls for total 8200 man hours and does not include additional man hours for our sub-contractors. Yes, this project most definitely will help us avoid any layoffs for the balance of the year.

5) How much will be spent on paying your workers for this project?

We have estimated almost 800k of payroll expenses not including sub contractors.

6) How much will be spent on materials?

Permanent materials and construction materials are estimated at 750k

7) Do you do a lot of work for the government? How many projects in total?

Approx. 50% of our work is for government agencies. On average we have approx. 3-6 both public and private projects going on at any one time.

8) If you are awarded the project, when do you expect to begin and to finish?

If awarded we will start 10 days after award and pending winter weather it has a completion date of 4/2010

Bidders, Getting to Know You (Slowly)

I received a friendly phone call this morning from John Difazio, still the only bidder of seven to reply to any of my calls or emails. He told me that he'd like to answer my questions but that another fellow at DoT (who will go unnamed unless he proves important to my reporting) told him all press releases must go through the NY dept of transportation during the preaward period. "I don't want to speak out of turn," he said.



This may very well be true. I'm still verifying. But I'm 2 weeks into reporting and I still don't have any of my basic questions answered from any of the seven firms. I'm going to see if DoT can help me by emailing the questions to the companies. These firms don't have the same PR systems as GE. If someone asks them a few questions and they don't feel like answering, they don't. With the job set to be awarded in 3 weeks, I don't have much time, but we'll see what I can come up with.

Muzzlegate Revisited.

In order to learn more about the bidding firms, I'd asked one firm owner, John Difazio, a few basic questions, about his company. For instance, how many employees do you have. In a July 16 blackberry communique, he wrote that he couldn't speak until after the "preaward process and can get clearance from the NYDOT press agent."

As far a Difazio claiming that he couldn't speak without clearance post-award goes, the DoT's Levine said in July 16 email that the agency hadn't barred him from talking to the media. "No one has told him he can't speak," wrote Levine. "If anyone would have done that, it would have been me, and I didn't. I have to think that he has nothing to gain by speaking to the press. I don't think we've worked with him before, and he may not want to say something that gets our upcoming partnership off on the wrong foot."

It's true that he has nothing to gain by speaking to the press, but this makes factfinding quite difficult for your reporter. None of the other firms I've surveyed have even responded. As a private citizen asking questions about private companies, I'm not making much headway. But different government agencies and trade groups are helping.

Most of the Bidding Firms Well Established according to Trade Association

As far as collecting information about bidders go, I made a little headway by contacting the General Contractor's Association of New York, at the recommendation of my contact at New York's Dept of Transportation.

I spoke with the trade association's PR person, Felice Farber, and she was very helpful. She said five of the seven firms, Difazio Industries, Grace Industries, Lomma Constuction, Crisdel Industries and Beaver Concrete are all member companies and have been around awhile but couldn't provide specifics in terms of how old they each are or how many employees they have. She said she'd ask around about Shamrock and Paul Scariano.

Farber was familiar with the Eltingville project and said the extra parking was needed. But she also admitted that the project wasn't necessarily the highest priority or "best use of money" in terms of infrastructure projects. "In New York City, we're so desperate for transportation dollars that those stimulus [funds] went to shovel-ready projects. If you want to spend a huge amount of infrastructure money fast, it's going to be bridge painting and 'mill and fill,' or paving roads."

The 7 Bidding Firms

On June 25, 7 different firms submitted bids for the $2.6 million federally-funded project. The lowest was $2.3 million from Difazio Industries, the highest, Paul J. Scariano Inc with $3.3 million.

The name of the firm awarded the deal will be announced in about 45 days, according to Adam Levine at NYC Department of Transportation. This means we find out in about mid-August.

D261131	COUNTY: Richmond Co.
PIN: X806.39	FA#: C240-X806-393
	Expansion of Park and Ride Area.
DIFAZIO INDUSTRIES INC 38 KINSEY PLACE STATEN ISLAND NY 10303 $ 2,292,292.92 GRACE INDUSTRIES LLC 28-44 COLLEGE POINT BLVD FLUSHING NY 11354 $ 2,554,245.00 LOMMA CONSTRUCTION CORP 80 WAKEFIELD ROAD STATEN ISLAND NY 10312 $ 2,952,287.00 SHAMROCK MATERIALS LLC 100 ST MARY'S AVENUE STATEN ISLAND NY 10305 $ 3,027,980.00 CRISDEL GROUP INC 240 RYAN STREET SOUTH PLAINFIELD NJ 07080 $ 3,048,946.23 BEAVER CONCRETE CONSTR. CO 1 BETHANY RD SUITE 68, BLDG 5 HAZLET NJ 07730 $ 3,265,506.00 PAUL J SCARIANO INC 1 43RD ST, BOX #C9 BROOKLYN NY 11232 $ 3,313,392.00