A project to expand a vital hunger relief program in western Scioto County has hit an unexpected snag—no contractors have stepped forward to finish the job.
At Thursday’s Scioto County Commissioners meeting, officials announced that not a single bid was submitted for the Rarden Daily Bread Soup Kitchen project, despite two contractors previously touring the site and expressing interest.
“So at this point we do not have bids,” Commissioner Scottie Powell said. “We’re going to have to rebid.”
The project was expected to move forward with the help of federal and state funds. Three years ago, the county allocated $150,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support Daily Bread’s expansion efforts. The group also secured a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant and has a total of $240,000 earmarked for construction.
Daily Bread, a grassroots hunger relief program based in the Rarden Community Center, serves hundreds of meals to local residents each week. With the grant money, the organization purchased a neighboring property to turn it into a fully equipped soup kitchen. Architectural plans were drawn up, and initial work—including a bathroom, storage areas, and infrastructure rough-ins—has already begun.
The next phase involves expanding the building to include a walk-in freezer and finishing the drywall. But without contractors, the project is stuck in limbo.
What’s the Hold-Up?
An architect involved in the project said one contractor backed out, citing concerns about staying within budget. There’s also speculation that other local contractors may be wary of federal prevailing wage requirements—a set of rules tied to government-funded projects that mandate contractors pay workers rates comparable to union wages in the area.
These requirements, meant to ensure fair pay, can sometimes be unfamiliar or intimidating to smaller, rural contractors who don’t regularly work on federally funded jobs.
To attract more interest, members of the Friends of Rarden Daily Bread are considering rebidding the project in smaller, separate pieces. That way, individual contractors might be more comfortable tackling portions of the work.
“We just want to get it done so we can open,” one member said. “We’re calling on any contractors in the area—or anyone who knows one—to get in touch with us.”
The Clock Is Ticking
The group currently has a 150-day deadline to finish the work and obtain an occupancy permit for the building, but they say they’re looking at extending that deadline to the end of the year if needed.
Despite the delay, commissioners and Daily Bread supporters remain hopeful the project will cross the finish line soon—with a little help from the local contracting community. They did say they would take a closer look at their budget to see what could be changed and then begin advertising for bids again.
