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

DATE: FRIDAY, October 8, 1993                   TAG: 9310080261
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CITY COMMITS TO SHARING HOTEL WORK BOUNTY

The general contractors who have qualified to bid on the Hotel Roanoke Conference Center have been told that the city is committed to involving minority-owned and women-owned businesses as well as local labor in the project.

In a letter to the 10 contractors, Councilman James Harvey said "it's vital to the Roanoke community that this project give all qualified contractors an equal opportunity to participate while insuring quality work, project integrity and timely completion."

The Hotel Roanoke Conference Center Commission has also approved a minority-owned and women-owned business enterprise plan to help encourage minority and female participation.

The plan includes a policy statement, prohibits employment discrimination and designates a liaison officer.

Harvey is chairman of the commission, which has three representatives from the city and three from Virginia Tech.

"We believe we have sent a message to the general contractors that we are serious about this opportunity and look forward to their participation," Harvey said.

The conference center, which will be owned by the city, will be bid first. Bids also will be taken soon on the hotel.

The commission has delayed the opening of bids on the conference center until Tuesday to allow more time for the general contractors to establish relationships with local minority-owned and women-owned firms.

It has also appointed Alvin Nash, the contract coordinator, to be the liaison officer for the business enterprise plan.

In that role, Nash will review the bids of the general contractors to evaluate their local-participation program. In addition, he will help contractors develop subcontractor programs and will investigate any complaints related to unfair practices under the state code.

"We want to take every opportunity available to us within the existing state procurement laws to help ensure that the project benefits all segments of our community, including small, minority- and women-owned businesses," said Brian Wishneff, acting director of the commission.

The efforts were prompted in part by complaints from unions and subcontractors that they have been shut out of city projects.

The 10 general contractors who attended a mandatory pre-bid meeting on the project are:

Branch and Associates, Roanoke; Thor Inc., Roanoke; J.M. Turner & Co., Roanoke (F.N. Thompson, Charlotte, N.C., is affiliated with Turner); English Construction, Altavista; Nielsen Construction, Harrisonburg; R.E. Lee & Son, Charlottesville; Kenbridge Construction Co., Kenbridge; Shirley Construction Corp., Portsmouth; Burwil Construction Co., Bristol, Tenn.; and Pizzagalli Construction, Burlington, Vt.

by CNB