The Parks Department ignored a “Buy American” rule and instead bought foreign▨ benches for a new city bike path, a contra𓆉ctor says.
Allen Architectural Metals, an Alabama firm that employs 30 workers, won a city contract to manufacture benches for the new Battery Bikeway in l👍ower Manhattan.
But despite a federal requirement to buy goods made in the USA, the $362,000 purchase order was cancelled. The city went on to purchase the benc🌠hes from a Canadian company, leaving the American firm high and dr🐼y.
“I was very disappointed,”🍸 said John Allen, head of Allen Architectural, who said his company has made fences for city locations including City Hall Park and Washington Square Park.
Allꦓen says his company made a prototype bench that exactly matched the existing slatted style River Bencওh elsewhere in Battery Park.
“We blocked out time in our♈ shop to do it,” he said — adding that the firm bought materials for about 15 percent of the work and lost about $50,000 after the purchase order was cancelled in Juneꦚ 2014.
The $12 million bikeway was financed with federal money, which 🦩comes with a requirement that goods be sourced from the US unless a waiver is granted.
ꦛIn 2011, the city hired Professional Pavers, a Queens contractor, to do the bikeway work and that company retained Allen Architectural in Dꦐecember 2013.
But Allen Architectural was not approved by the Manhattan firm that originally designed the River🍎 Bench, according to the Parks Department.
Professional Pavers settled on Canadian firm Soheil Mosun, which is making the benches for $260,000. The state Departmen🎃t of Transportation granted a waiver to buy the foreign goods. Professional Pavers did not resp❀ond to requests for comment.
“The Buy American clause remains in effect,” a Parks Department spokesman sa🦂id. “It was waived for a single item, the River Bench, as the Canadian firm Soheil Mosun was the only company that could cost-effectively produce the same bench used elsewhere in the Battery.”