Local officials were hoping to have an iconic structure to display when the national news cameras come to town, next year. And a serpentine pedestrian bridge connecting the city to the lakefront seemed to fit the bill. But then, questions arose about the ability of the contractor, Erieshore, to meet that deadline in a cost-effective way.
A consortium of city, county and business leaders, including Jeremy Paris of the Group Plan Commission, says the contractor was proposing too many design changes.
JEREMY PARIS: And it was in the course of that negotiation with the Erieshore Group that it became apparent that we just weren't going to be able to get the right project at the right budget, given that time frame
Paris says the bridge planners will likely start looking for a new contractor, soon. Though he won't commit to a completion date he says the delay could be as long as a year.
