JOHNSTOWN - The Fulton County Board of Supervisors has approved a $132,217 contract with a Latham firm for engineering services for the county's planned Tryon Technology Park and Incubator Center.
The county has not yet taken ownership of the property from the state, but the county's 2012 capital plan includes funding for the project.
The project involves transforming the former Tryon youth detention campus in Perth into a business park.
The board authorized a $132,217 engineering contract with C.T. Male Associates after receiving nine requests for proposals, or RFPs.
Broadalbin Supervisor Joseph DiGiacomo said C.T. Male's proposal wasn't the lowest the county received.
County Administrative Officer Jon Stead said company officials from the lowest three proposals were interviewed, and C.T. Male's proposal came in about $20,000 higher than the lowest one. He said RFPs for professional services don't follow strict low- bidding rules, and C.T. Male's proposal came in higher because other work and services were added.
"That actually increased what their original proposal was," Stead said.
The board's Buildings and Grounds-Highway Committee recently proposed the Tryon project as a $3.1 million county capital project for 2013.
The county has been working with the state to get the former Tryon Residential Center property transferred to the county and eventually deeded to the Fulton County Industrial Development Agency.
Officials say the Tryon site comprises 517 acres of land and about 40 existing buildings. There is also existing municipal water and sewer infrastructure, as well as natural gas and electric utilities. Officials say the new project could create new jobs and expand the local tax base.
The IDA wants to market the Tryon land and buildings to existing and new businesses. The existing access road into the campus would be deeded to the county to own, operate and maintain it as a county road. The proposed $3.14 million cost for the capital plan is broken down by $2 million in revenue from a state grant, coupled with a $1.14 million county share.
The county share includes engineering and design, construction costs and costs associated with repaving County Highway 107.
Stead said the county is now awaiting "formal approval" by the state to transfer the Tryon property to the county.
"That we are not expecting for the next month or so," Stead said.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com.