And the contract goes to …. Columbus has an ‘Oscars’ moment

It happened to Steve Harvey at Miss Universe, and then Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty at the Academy Awards.

Mistakes can be made when the climactic reveal of the winner is announced, as the city of of Columbus learned Tuesday as it awarded the contract for the nearly $2.2 million continuation of the State Street Revitalization Project at a Board of Works meeting.

Just before the meeting adjourned, Columbus Redevelopment Director Heather Pope told the board the city had reviewed two bids for the next phase of the State Street project, which had been opened April 18 at a board of works meeting.

She then recommended the board award the contract to Milestone and … stopped.

Turning to representatives of Dave O’Mara Contractor, Inc., she then profusely apologized, saying city officials were recommending the contract be awarded to the O’Mara group.

Dave O’Mara Contractor, Inc. did have the lowest bid for the contract at $2,174,237. Milestone Contractors had submitted a bid of $2,198,000.

The second phase of the State Street Project has been divided into two sections. This contract is for the section that links the current Force Construction work on the Hawcreek Bridge to a new pedestrian trail and sidewalk through east Columbus to Mapleton Street.

For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.