YOUNGSTOWN — The apparent low bid for projects on Fifth Avenue and Market Street that were supposed to be done years ago came in well below the city’s estimate.

The city opened two bids Friday for the work. Parella-Pannunzio Inc. of Youngstown submitted the apparent low bid of $224,167 for the job. The other bid came from Foust Construction Inc. of Girard at $275,248.50.

The city’s estimate for the work was $290,000. City council on April 1 authorized the board of control to spend up to $295,000 for the job.

The city will review the bids and could ask the board of control as soon as its next meeting, April 23, to award the contract, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works.

“We’re happy with the bids,” Shasho said. “This time of the year, contractors are looking to get back to work, particularly concrete guys.”

The largest part of the job is the installation of a bus pull-off on Market Street, near Federal Street, for Oh Wow! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science & Technology.

The other work is the installation of three bus shelters on Fifth Avenue.

The bus shelters were initially part of a 2019 project that finished in 2022.

The hold-up was the locations are on state property, Shasho said.

The city has since gained access to the property.

As part of the Federal Street project, which finished in 2024, a bus pull-off was supposed to be installed on the corner of Market Street for Oh Wow!

But it took time to coordinate the pull-off with Oh Wow!

The pull-off will cut into the sidewalk on Market Street, near the Mahoning National Bank Building, to allow vehicles to pick up and drop off children attending the museum.

The street improvements were part of the SMART2 (Strategic and Sustainable, Medical and Manufacturing, Academic and Arts, Residential and Recreation and Technology and Training) Network program to several city streets, primarily downtown.

The city and its partners were awarded a $10.85 million federal grant Dec. 6, 2018, for the SMART2 work, with the rest of the $29 million coming from other federal and state funds as well as dollars and in-kind services from the city and its partners.

Work was done to Federal, Front, Commerce and South Phelps streets and Fifth and Rayen avenues.

The work included repaving, reducing the number of lanes, widening sidewalks, creating bicycle paths, lighting upgrades, landscaping and pedestrian islands.