University of Virginia Library

University Awaits Extension
For New Cafeteria Bid Date

By JOAN BAECHER

University Planning
Director Werner K. Sensbach
said yesterday that he has
asked State Atty. General
Andrew P. Miller for an
extension of the bid
acceptance date for the
proposed Observatory dining
facility.

No settlement had been
made with the S. R. Gay
Construction Company of
Lynchburg yesterday, the
deadline for bid acceptance.

The Planning Department
received a letter from the
company's attorney saying that
it cannot "attend to its
contract." Mr. Sensbach said
he is waiting for some advice
from the attorney general's
office "as to what direction in
which to proceed."

The Gay bid is the lowest of
the five bids submitted, the
largest totaling $1,450,000.
Soon after bids were offered,
the company claimed that they
had made an error in their
proposal and would be unable
to fulfill the contract. They
had not included in their
figures large areas of
mechanical cost, Mr. Sensbach
said.

The attorney general is
investigating the matter and
hopefully will extend the bid
date to allow the construction
to be offered to another
company.

Robert E. Lee Construction
of Charlottesville offered the
second lowest bid.

Assistant Planning Director
Waller S. Hunt said "the dining
area is definitely needed, and
the sooner the matter
concerning the bids is cleared
up, the sooner the construction
can be started."