A couple of major projects and a major lawsuit are in the news.

The PA Supreme Court ruled on April 17 that the lower courts were in error in ruling that the Bricklayer’s Pension Fund had standing to file a Mechanics Lien for the non-payment of obligations from a subcontractor. The case involved an insolvent masonry sub that owed pension payments that related to hours worked on specific projects. Although the owner – in this case Erie developer Scott Development – had no contract with the Bricklayer’s union, the Pension Fund had sought to assert lien rights to get the payments that the defunct masonry contractor owed. The Supreme Court ruled that the pension fund could not extend its relationship with the masonry contractor to assume the same rights to lien a property. The decision removes a level of uncertainty for project owners.

On a less convoluted front, two projects that had been previously announced are moving along in the process of hiring a contractor.

Fee proposals are being taken from Mascaro, PJ Dick and Walsh Construction for the expansion of Dick’s Sporting Goods. The project was announced last year as an expansion of at least 180,000 sq. ft.

CSX is prequalifying contractors for the first phase of the $50 million intermodal yard the company has proposed for the McKees Rocks/Stowe Township area. As many as a dozen heavy/highway contractors are involved in the pre-qualification, including local firms Brayman Construction, Joseph B. Fay, Lane, Mascaro, Mosites and Trumbull Corp., along with national contractors. CSX intends to short list and select later this spring.

Massaro was the low bidder on the WVU Law School renovation at $1,529,000. Lombardi Development bid $1,585,500; Mascaro bid $1,598,000; Volpatt was at $1,610,000 and Landau at $1,616,000.