Daily News Digs into Filter Plant Bid Fiasco

Bill Egbert of the Daily News does some digging and finds more details on why a deal with a consortium to build the filtration plant in Van Cortlandt Park went sour. Cost was not cited as a factor in a letter from Consortium leader Perini Corp., but rather "attendant circumstances." According the article, filings with the Security and Exchange Commission show that Perini is the subject of an investigation relating to "its contracting with disadvantaged, minority and women-owned businesses ..."

One question: Why does the Daily News consistently relegate hard news like this to its "Metro News" page, which often isn't available to Manhattan readers, and even some of the other boroughs? The filtration plant is hardly just a local issue. Croton water supplies parts of Manhattan and more in times of drought. And all city water rate payers are footing the bill for the mounting fines the federal government is levying on the city for failing to seal the deal on a plant construction contract by the Feb. deadline.

Filtration Contractor Bails Out

The water filtration plant project may be heading toward disaster.

You know that giant hole in Van Cortlandt Park where there used to be grass, trees and a golf driving range? Well, there may not be anybody around to fill it.

Yesterday, the DEP confirmed that the contractor for building the filtration plant, a consortium led by Perini Corp. that won the bid last fall, bowed out, two months after it was supposed to begin work. The New York Post first reported this on Sunday.

Our story on this is coming out in Thursday's issue. Meanwhile, NewYorkBusiness.com reported yesterday that the city's Department of Investigation was looking into the Perini consortium, which may have been a reason why they dropped out. According to the report, the DOI had "qualms about violations involving Perini's meeting targets for subcontracts with minority- and women-owned business enterprises; the company was convicted in California in 2001 of making fraudulent MWBE claims."

Any company that is awarded a city contract must make a concerted effort to subcontract minority- and women-owned businesses as per city policy.

At the very least, this means the $2 billion project will cost another $200 million.