It isn’t even Halloween yet but in terms of the contracting market there are but a few weeks left for projects to get on the streets and priced before everyone goes into holiday mode. While 2012 has been something of a disappointment for construction in Pittsburgh, there are a few pearls out to bid before Thanksgiving.

After earlier pre-qualification of contractors, WVU has issued its $38 million Advanced Engineering Building to Mascaro, Massaro, PJ Dick, Turner, Whiting-Turner and Walsh, with bids due Nov. 15. Handicapping this is impossible. Given how aggressive Turner and Walsh have been in pursuing work over the past year and how much Whiting-Turner seems to want to remain in this region, it’s hard to predict who might have an edge based on backlog or project fit.

Walsh and Turner, along with Clayco Construction from St. Louis are the finalists pursuing the design/build contract for the $60 million Quattro buildings being developed by Burns & Scalo Real Estate in Southpointe. The RFP for the 416,000 sq. ft., two-building development – which includes the new HQ for Ansys – is out for response by these three contractors.

The bid packages for Mercy Hospital’s new $80 million chiller plant are soon to go out to bid from Mosites Construction, with bids in early November. Construction on the project is expected to start before the end of this year.

One project that was not trending for construction this year but is going ahead is the LA Fitness and garage at the Don Allen site. Gleason Construction is taking bids on that project now. The deal for the development seems to have been on and off again more times than a bathroom light over the past couple years and with the LA Fitness/Urban Active merger, there was talk that the Urban Active facility in Bakery Square would nullify the LA Fitness. It seems that rumors of the project’s demise were premature.