The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-27
NO CITY HALL YET.
The Bids Opened This Morn
ing Far in Excess of the
Appropriation.

AA0 OAly 11itAA OOIAAlSSAUu6ES Hl6b dRalu
this morning and opened bids for the
construction Of the municipal building.
The inability to build within the appro-
priation the structure called for by the
plans. even after they had been multi
lated by looping off the wings, was ap-
parent by the small number of bids re-
ceiyed. and the large difference bs-
tween the lowest and the amount
available TO the Commissioners. A
well known builder who has
erected many of the largest and most
costly buildings in the city, and who was
present this morning when the bids were
opened, said that he had gone over the
plans and specifications carefully, and
that he found that 1t would be impossible
for him to build the City Hall at any
thing like the figures bid this morning,
not to mention the amount at the dis
posal of the Board.
1t was suggested to the Board that o
considerable sum might be saved with
out detractiDg from the stability or
attractiveness of the building by substi-
tuting old gold brick for stone above the
second story Acting upon that sugges-
ton, the Board askeu for bids for boJh
stone and brIcg work with this result
Z. j. Condor, for mason and stone work,
$212,750 and for brick, S207, $50;
n. Campbell for stone $2l0874, and for
brick $207. .S74; X. England; 500, ,591 for
stone and 500, 1877 for brick; p Kenny,
$2l4. .345 for stone and S19l, 900 for brick;
M. Brennan. $2O6. 900 for stone and
S203, 900 for brick. There was but one bid
for the carpenter WORK, and that was
made by John Keernan for s5S, 300. Mr..
Herman was one of the bidders at the
last opening of bids before the wings
were taken off. and was 5000 lower then
than now.
WAY BEYOND THE APPROPRIATION.
For the plumbing work Phil E. Martin
bid $11,5l7, f. j. Kelieher. $17.725. ana
John Regan. Sl4, ,627. William w. Farrier
sent BID for the plumbing WORK. but as
it arrived at the office at 1910 o'clock,
after several had been read, it was barred
out. A New York builder about the
same time telephoned that he would like
to come in for the whole building, but he
was also told that he was too late.
The amount the Board has at its
disposal Is $24l, 400. Taxing the lowest
bid for stone aud mason work, that of
Mr.. English. Mr.. Kiernan's bid for the
carpenter work, Mr.. Martins lid for
the plumbing and the S9525 66 tor the
piling accepted at former meeting,
brings the cost uD to S279, ,845 sc, which is
just soc, 4fo.oO III e4c0SS Oh LDo ApprOprla-
Jion. Again, adding the bid of Mr..
Kenny for orick work to the other loves t
bids the cost OF the building. would be
$270. .252 66, only s28, 252 65 in excess of the
amount at the disposal OF the Board The
Commissioners went into executive
session at the close of the reading.
THE MATTER LAID OVER
After remaining in secret session some
time, the Board announced that the
whole matter had been laid over until
Thursday.
Much Indignation Is felt among cit,z ms
at the failure TO secure bids within the
approximation, especially since it was
announced. when the plans and specifca-
tions were accepted that the building
which they called for could
be built for the amount at the disposal OF
the Commissioners. They were the more
indignant to find this morning that
with The two wings Topped
off and the substitution of
brick for stone above the second story. the
lowest bid was $2S, 900, neyond the appro-
priation. 1t is considered by many that
the best thing that can be done under the
circumstances is TO let the bids remain
until the Legislature meets, and then se-
cure the passage of bill increasing the
appro priation.