2014-01-29-lake amphitheate.JPG

A schematic of a proposed amphitheater that Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed building on wastebeds on Onondaga Lake's western shore, near the New York State Fair, with $30 million in state funds. Cuomo announced his plan at a news conference Jan. 29, 2014 in Solvay, N.Y.

(Michelle Breidenbach|mbreidenbach@syracuse.com)

To the Editor:

Onondaga County and the City of Syracuse seems to be slipping (again) in regards to the transparency of a very popular public works project that only in the last year has been thought of, designed, bid out, and begun construction.

Whether you agree with the county plan to construct an amphitheater on the shoreline of Onondaga Lake is your own opinion, and I only hope that most of us in Onondaga County can respectfully have a discussion about the pros and cons.

The question that I have for the county would be, where is the transparency in this project?

I am not trying to write a opinion to dissuade anyone's decision whether to disagree or agree, but to only try to raise awareness about the selection process to decide who would do the work, and how this project will be completed.

As a student of architecture and the construction industry, in the last year I have become familiar with the process to make a selection of the companies who bid for this project.

According the the data that is provided to the public, over $49.5 million dollars will be

contributed from Onondaga County (taxpayers), and another $30 million from the state of New York (more New York taxpayers) for the Solvay improvements.

Gilbane Building Co. will be doing the work on the amphitheater, a company based out of Rhode Island with an office in Syracuse. But who else wanted to bid on the project?

Marty Skahen, the county executive's chief of staff, refuses to release the public information about the other companies who bid for the work. Why? Was Gilbane the lowest bidder? When were the requests for proposals made public and where could you find them? Personally, I searched long and hard and could not find any information about the other options or how to apply to become an option (if I were a company). When were the bids opened? Was the public (taxpayers) made aware of the other

potential companies who did submit proposals?

This is a problem in my eyes. The state and county are selecting companies to give public money to, without the consenting knowledge of the public, on public projects.

When will the county realize that eliminating transparency from the public realm of construction is not good for small business or future development.

Joshua Wilcox

Syracuse