
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, September 25, 1993                   TAG: 9309250157
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IS LOCAL BID RECRUITMENT WORKING?

Given the situation, Roanoke has done as much as it can to see that local companies get part of the architectural and engineering work on the Hotel Roanoke and conference center project.

So says Brian Wishneff, the city's chief of economic development, who is helping oversee the conference center.

The Conference Center Commission has specified that architectural and engineering companies from outside the Roanoke Valley must work with local firms.

Still, the use of several out-of-town architectural and engineering firms has caused some people to question whether the city's effort to recruit local and minority businesses for the project is working.

A North Carolina architectural company has designed the conference center; three firms from North or South Carolina have contracts for engineering services.

CTHL Architects of Charlotte, N.C., was chosen for the center, Wishneff said, because it also designed the hotel renovation.

The conference center and hotel are so inextricably linked that it was impractical to have separate architects, Wishneff said.

The $13 million conference center will be owned by the city. Virginia Tech will own the $28 million hotel project.

Three other outside firms were hired for engineering work.

Alvin Nash, who is overseeing the effort to ensure that local businesses and workers get part of the work, said the decisions on the architectural and engineering contracts were made before he began work on the project.

Nash has spent months recruiting and working with local and minority-owned businesses to help them get a part of the work and has divided the project into pieces to help achieve that aim.

In an effort to give local engineers part of the work, Wishneff said, the commission required the out-of-state firms to form alliances with local companies.

"Given the circumstances we had - having to use the same architect for both buildings - I think we have done a good job of getting local people involved," Wishneff said.

Bids on the $13 million conference center will be opened next month.

Ten contractors attended a mandatory pre-bid meeting this month. Three Roanoke Valley companies - J.M. Turner & Co., Branch & Associates and Thor Inc. - were among them.

F.N. Thompson of Charlotte and J.M. Turner & Co. were chosen as general contractors for the hotel, but bids will be taken on many subcontracts.

Nash said the next few weeks, when about 25 subcontracts will be put out to bid, will determine whether local companies will get a share.

by CNB