The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-14
PLANS MODIFIED
FOR FAIR BUILDING
Association to Pay Excess Cost
Over City Appropria-
ton.
COHEN URGES PROMPT AcTIoI
tUnfairncss Charged by Minority,
Which Wants New
Competition.

After hearing from representatives
of the Virginia state Fair Association
on the necessity for prompt action.
the Council Committee on Grounds
and Buildings last night recommended
10 the Council the award of CONTRACT
for the proposed administration. build.
ing at the Fair Grounds to Gilbert j.
Hunt on modified designs of Scar
borough G. Howell, the cost to the city
NOT to exceed the amount of the appro-
priation, $4,000; the Fair Association
assuming all extras. Some time ago
the committee held competition FOR
designs and accepted tho scarborough
e. Howell plans on the assurance of
Mr. Howell that the building could
be put up within the, approximation.
were opened Contractor Gilbert j.
Hunt was the lowest bidder. but his
figure was s53,130. to which was to be
added electric wiring and plumbing
and teh architects fees. making 1t
probable that the total cost would en-
First Bid Rejected.
The committee therefore rejected all
bias and plans. and referred the whole
matter to a subcommittee to confer
with a similar committee from the
Fair Association
Architect scarboro, Contractor Hunt,
Building Inspector Beck, and the com
mittee. held several sessions, modified
the plans to some extent, Introducing
two additional rows of columns. to
save cost of a steel truss roof, and
in other ways lessened the cost until
Mr.. Hunt brought his figure down to
$4,000. sam Cohen, Leigh r. Page and
r. w Spillman, committee from the
Fair Association, urged the acceptance
| of the modified plans and bid, pledSing
| the Fair Association to pay the excess
cost and to pay for all extras over the
| $4,000 appropriated by the city.
| Mr. Don Leavy objected to the pro-
cedure. but finally voted for 1T.
Mr. Spence was more determined in
| his opposition. claiming that 1t was a
bad precedent, that all plans had been
| rejected. and that there should be a
| new competition. in fairness to all
| Chairman Selph, of the subcommittee
| explained that 1t would have beer
\ impossible to get new plans in time
and Building Inspector Beck said tina,
! the notifications did not mar the
! building. for. the purposes contem-
plated. though materially reducing the
| cost Mr.. Page and Mr. Cohen spoke
| of the eXigencies of the case; the fact
| that the Fair Association had already
\ contracted for much of the exhibit
| space in the proposed builuing; tina
! year which were never taken from
\ their packing cases for lack of space
| and that there was no time TO be-
| wasted in quibbling.
| Need II This Year.
/ Mr.. Cohen explained that the differ
| ence to the association in getting th'
/ building in time for this years fat
| amply justified 1t in paying all extras
J on the cost; that the modified plans
/ gave as good a building as could b.
! had for the money, and that he anc
| the members of the committee has
acted by the committee just as the,
| would have done in their own bushes:
| affairs in selecting the lowest bidder
| and then reducing the designs unit
! the building was within the limit o.
| the appropriation.
Mr. Cohen asserted that the life o.
| the state Fair was at stake: that hay
| ing announced that II would have thi!
handsome new administration buildins
for this years fair it would get {
serious "black eye" by. failure t
get together and order the work done
1--WE couldn't have done better
we had been acting for ourselves thaj
to have made this deal with the archl
tect and contractor" asserted MI
Cohen. Mr.. Don Leavy again proteste,
that it was unfair not to call for new
bids, but when the roll was called OF
adoption of the report of the sub
committee and recommendation 10 tn
Board of Aldermen of award OF con
i tract on the modified designs 10 Gil
i bert i. Hunt, the only negatives Wer
Aldermen Melton and Spence. the vot
being to 2. The fight will prob
ably be reopened on the floor or tn
Board of Aldermen tonight.