The City of Salem is seeking a contractor to remove lead-based paint and repaint the exterior fire escapes, doors and trim at City Hall, while reserving broken-step and platform repairs on the north-side fire escape for separate work.[1] The active solicitation requires interested bidders to register by 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, for a mandatory walkthrough the following morning.[1][2]
The project is not an award or a completed repair.[1][3] Salem’s Invitation to Bid 2027-020 says the work covers paint removal, containment, waste handling, priming and repainting on the north and south sides of City Hall at 114 North Broad Street.[1] The City of Salem’s bid page continued to list the solicitation as open when checked Oct. 23.[3]
What the bid covers
The bid documents say testing found lead in deteriorated paint on the exterior fire escapes, associated doors and trim.[1] They also identify broken steps and part of the platform on the north-side fire escape.[1]
The contractor’s scope is paint work, not the structural repair.[1][2] The documents say another party will repair the broken north-side steps and platform after paint is removed from those areas.[1][2] The selected paint contractor would then return to finish the relevant surfaces after that separate repair work is complete.[1][2]
The city estimates that the separate repairs could take about 30 working days after it receives written notice that paint removal in the repair areas is complete.[1] That is an estimate for the separate repair phase, not a promised overall completion date.[1]
City Hall is expected to remain open
The specifications describe City Hall as an occupied building that will remain open to the public during the work.[1] They require the contractor to coordinate any closure of a fire escape or exterior door with the city; unless Salem approves otherwise, only one fire escape may be out of service at a time.[1]
The solicitation does not establish current exposure levels, a code violation, an injury, the cause of the building conditions or a final schedule for the separate structural work.[1] No bid award, bid price, combined project cost or repair contract was listed in the records reviewed for this article.[1][3]
Procurement dates
The mandatory site meeting is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at City Hall.[1][2] The bid documents say only represented bidders may submit bids, and registration for that meeting closes at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27.[1][2]
Written questions are due at 5 p.m. Nov. 4.[1][2] Bids are due at 3 p.m. Nov. 19, followed by a public opening at 3:05 p.m., according to the solicitation and legal notice.[1][2]
The city says an award notice will be posted on its bid page.[2][3] The next public checkpoints are any addenda, the bid opening, an award notice and records on the separate north-side repair work.[1][2]