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Estate of hit-and-run victim seeks to compel details from Michael Scavone

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In Focus: Eric Williams parents still seeking justice

WILKES-BARRE TWP. &#8212; Arena board members Wednesday received an update on the proposed expansion and their options on whether to proceed with the project as a whole or a smaller component.Approximately 20 contractors have picked up documents in order to submit bids by the tentative due date of Feb. 2, said Sam Scarantino, a principal with the Quad 3 engineers and architects in Wilkes-Barre. The expansion would add eating and drinking space on the concourse and suite levels of the facility.He informed members of the Luzerne County Convention Authority at their regularly scheduled public meeting at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza of the cost savings done in the redesign after initial bids came in too high and were rejected.&#8220;We&#8217;ve tried to employ as many possible alternatives or options within the documents to help reduce the costs as a whole,&#8221; Scarantino said.Among the changes disclosed were using a &#8220;cantilever structural steel framing&#8221; design instead of digging a new foundation, placing the heating, ventilating and air conditioning unit on the roof of the proposed addition and scaling back on some of the interior finishes.Scarantino did not provide a cost estimate but told board member Tom Woods the project should come &#8220;pretty close&#8221; to the figure calculated after the revisions. The firm redesigned the project at no cost to the authority after the initial bids last year ranged between $6.4 million and $6.9 million, exceeding the $3.8 million budgeted by the authority.Most of the contractors who bid the first time have the new documents, Scarantino said. They also have more time to submit bids and do the work, he added.A tentative start date is in April and interior work will not start until after May 2 to avoid conflicting with the hockey season of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins whose home ice is at the arena.Board member Donna Cupinski, who continues to oversee the project proposed while she was chairman, talked about the &#8220;club pub&#8221; included in the expansion. It will be located in the area of the Chickie&#8217;s &amp; Pete&#8217;s concession on the concourse and serve club seat members who have to go down to the event level for food and drinks. Chickie&#8217;s and Pete&#8217;s would have to be relocated if the pub proposal goes through, Cupinski said.&#8220;If you take a hockey game by the time these individuals wait for the elevator, go downstairs get their food and drink the game has already restarted,&#8221; Cupinski said. The pub area would be right behind the club seats and restricted to club seat members, she said.Board members will have some flexibility on determining how to proceed, she said.&#8220;So the way the bid documents were drafted they are separate in that this board can decide to do the expansion and the &#8216;club pub&#8217; or just the &#8216;club pub&#8217; or just the expansion,&#8221; Cupinski said.Board chairman Dave Palermo said a decision should be made once the bids come in.The next public meeting is scheduled for Feb. 10 at the arena.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Jerry Lynottjlynott@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</shirttailMeta></div>

Arena expansion plans discussed, bids due next month