Tension and nervous chatter filled a hallway of the Mercer County Courthouse Wednesday morning.

The reason for the apprehension was the long-awaited opening of bids for the proposed 265-bed Mercer County Jail.

Once Mercer County commissioners had all the bids opened, the total project cost, based on the lowest bids for five contracts, could be as little as $17.5 million. Bids were for: general trades; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; plumbing and fire protection; electrical; and detention equipment.

However, Commissioner Chairman Cloyd E. "Gene" Brenneman said the cost will probably be closer to $19.5 million, adding that some estimates had the project reaching $23 million.

"And after seven years of working on this, yes, we're breathing much easier right now," Brenneman said.

"Amen," added Commissioner Kenneth A. Seamans.

Although an original estimate for the jail, according to Herald stories in 2001 and 2002, was about $17 million, Commissioner Olivia Lazor said last week, closer to $18.5 million of the $34 million bond floated in 2001 was being earmarked for the jail. The bond is also financing the $10 million courthouse renovation, among other projects.

"The numbers came in and were close, so that means everybody did their very best to bring in numbers that were competitive, which is good for the project," Mrs. Lazor said. "And I think we've got some pretty good low bids in this and it looks like we'll be meeting our mark as far as dollars."

"I think they're right on," said Brenneman. "I'm pleased with them."

The bids will be reviewed by the county solicitor and project architect and engineer L. Robert Kimball Associates, Brenneman said. He added final approval from the commissioners, as well as a groundbreaking ceremony in Findley Township for what is expected to be an 18-month project, is being projected for June 26.

A few dozen people, including many of the 36 bidders, were on hand.

The only local companies to bid on the project were Hudson Construction of Hermitage, which submitted a $9.85 million bid for the general contract, and Penn-Ohio Electrical Co. of Masury, which submitted a $1.73 million bid for the electrical contract.

Regionally, Renick Brothers of Slippery Rock bid $2.43 million for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and $1.89 million for plumbing and fire protection, while Blackhawk/Neff of New Castle bid $1.68 million for electric.

In addition to the bids, companies were also asked to submit alternate bids, or choices, in each area that could increase or decrease the cost of the project, although Brenneman indicated "we are not going to use many of those add-ons."

As for the current 114-bed jail on South Diamond Street in Mercer, Mrs. Lazor said commissioners are eyeing it for use as an archives to store the county's historical records and other paper records the county is mandated to retain. Some holding cells would remain, she added however, for prisoners scheduled to appear in court.

Among the primary reasons for a new jail, commissioners have said, are the unsafe conditions for employees and the limited number of beds that force the county to send 60 to 70 prisoners a day to other county jails in the region.

Mrs. Lazor said the county has budgeted $1.35 million for the next fiscal year to cover out-of-county housing, and that's only for the beds and cells. That doesn't include transportation or health care, which she said would raise the cost another 5 percent to about $1.42 million.

Commissioners say a larger jail is expected to eliminate the need to send prisoners out of the county.

You can e-mail Herald Political Writer Jeff Greenburg at jgreenburg@sharonherald.com.

Six companies submitted bids in two contract areas, creating a discrepancy in the number of total bids, 42, and number of bidders, 36.

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