ITHACA — Bids for the City of Ithaca’s Union Street reconstruction were opened Aug. 25, 2026, and the low bid was $3,596,606 from Malley Construction, Inc., according to the engineer’s recommendation letter in the Sept. 1 City Council packet. The engineer’s estimate was $4,727,895, so the low bid was $1,131,289, or 23.92 percent, below it. The council’s Sept. 1 agenda listed “Award of Bid: Union Street Reconstruction” as new business.
The six bids
The bid comparison, prepared by ROWE Professional Services Company, lists: Malley Construction, $3,596,606.00; Zito Construction, $4,236,611.50 (10.39 percent under the estimate); Crawford Contracting, $5,162,106.62; The Isabella Corporation, $5,168,946.70; Champagne & Marx Excavating, $5,583,710.66; and E.T. MacKenzie Company, $5,783,059.25 (22.31 percent over the estimate). The second-lowest bid was $640,005.50 above the low one. The city manager’s Sept. 1 written report said six companies bid and that one was a “clear leader” vetted by the engineers.
The conditions on the recommendation
The ROWE letter, dated Aug. 26, says the firm has worked on similar projects with the low bidder and checked two of its references. It recommends awarding the contract at the full bid “contingent on” two things: approval by the Michigan Department of Transportation of Transportation Economic Development Fund Category B compliance, and the closing of the bond sale tied to the project. This publication has reported on the bond plan, a single $4 million Capital Improvement Bond, which the Sept. 15 packet described as planned and which was scheduled for a Sept. 18 special meeting.
What the record does not say
The first sentence of the letter says three bids were read, while its table and the city manager’s report show six; the packet does not explain the difference. The packets reviewed do not include adopted minutes showing whether the council voted on the award Sept. 1, and the outcome of the bond sale and of MDOT’s review is not posted. The packet does not give a construction start date or the project’s scope beyond the title, and it does not show how the $4 million bond relates to the $3.6 million bid, such as engineering, financing and other costs. The City of Ithaca, ROWE Professional Services and Malley Construction have not been asked to comment for this report. Any of them is welcome to respond at contactus@gcwhistleblower.com, and any response will be published in full.