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STEUBENVILLE -- City officials confirmed Tuesday Chipotle is coming to Steubenville.
City Manager Jim Mavromatis said they "had a preconstruction meeting with the company that will be building the Chipotle in Lowe's parking lot."
"Probably one of the most important takeaways there was the comments by the contractors about the cooperation of the city," he said.
Second Ward Councilman Tracy McManamon called it "a very big win for our city," while Mayor Jerry Barilla said the meeting was "an eye-opener."
"I never realized the technicality, the rules and regulations involved in something being built," Barilla said.
Meanwhile, with bids coming in well below the $2.6 million they expected, council appears open to the idea of a one-and-done approach to upgrading the old city building.
The winning bid -- $1,939,000, from Fort Steuben Maintenance -- was about $250,000 lower than the two closest bids and about $660,000 below estimate.
"We talked to the contractor because of the difference in the bids," McKinley and Co. Senior Architect Christina Schessler told council during a Building and Grounds committee meeting Tuesday. "We wanted to make sure he had the whole scope of the project, we drilled him with a bunch of questions. We're ... confident he's comfortable with his bid."
Schessler showed council what she had in mind for the building, including much-needed upgrades to the men's and women's restrooms, the police evidence room, community room and probation officer room, and also developing a locker room for female police officers and renovating the existing men's locker room. Council, in turn, suggested several changes to make it more functional for employees.
She said once the contract is signed Fort Steuben can start placing orders for the materials they'll need.
"I think within the next couple weeks (they'll start)," Schessler said. "Usually when they get a contract they like to hit the ground running ... they might not be here making actual noise (then), but they'll be here looking around."
Fearing bids would be much higher, the last council had proposed doing the work in stages but now, because the bid is more manageable, the current council started talking about doing it all at once.
Mavromatis seconded the idea that "we get it done," with Schessler pointing out it would be more cost-effective to do it all at once vs splitting it into two or more phases.
"If you can do it all at once it's going to be less intrusive for (employees)," Fifth Ward Councilman Ted Gorman opined. "If we have the money, I think we should do it right now."
Because it was a committee meeting no votes could be taken. Councilman at large Joel Walker, Third Ward Councilwoman Heather Hoover and Sixth Ward Councilman Mike Hernon suggested it makes sense to do it all at once.
Also Tuesday:
• Council tabled emergency legislation that will, when approved, extend Mavromatis's contract for two years.
Hernon said the one-week delay would provide time for "further conversation" between council and Mavromatis, though Fourth Ward Councilman Royal Mayo objected, saying he'd rather go into executive session to hammer out the details and then return to the floor for a vote.
Also tabled was the third reading of an ordinance authorizing Mavromatis and Urban Projects Director Chris Petrossi to seek qualifications and sign a contract for preparation of a new comprehensive plan for the city.
• McManamon introduced legislation allowing council to hire an economic development coordinator for the city.
• Mayo introduced emergency legislation authorizing Fire Chief Carlo Capaldi to seek bids to replace the flat and pitched roofs at the downtown fire station.
• Walker called on the city to "start the process" to review the city charter.
"I believe it has not been looked at or altered in 10 years," Walker said, adding they need to "bring it more up to date."
• First Ward Councilman Dave Albaugh told council Parks and Recreation Director Lori Fetherolf is looking for volunteers to assist with the annual Easter Egg hunt at Belleview Park. Albaugh also reported the new sign is in at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center.
"It's beautiful," Albaugh said. "Once (Fetherolf) is trained on it, she will be able to put all recreational activities in city of Steubenville on a scroll."
• Council signed off on the third reading of ordinances authorizing city officials to apply for the National Park Service's Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization program and repealing the city's existing Table of Organization and replacing it with one "for all employees of the city, along with emergency legislation ratifying a new three-year contract with Steubenville Firefighters Union Local No. 228 and amending the Table of Organization to reflect the pay raises awarded to firefighters.