East Valley Business - 07.17.2022

east valley

Volume 5 Issue 01 Mesa, AZ

July 17, 2022

Downtown Mesa shoe repairman ‘busy all day’

BY MARK MORAN Tribune Managing Editor

W

IN THE BIZ

hen Fabian De La Rosa came to Arizona in the late 1990’s, he was just trying to save his own life. He had no idea how many other lives he would touch in the years to come.

De La Rosa had developed a potentially deadly case of pneumonia while working as a shoe repairman at a shopping mall in Michigan. His doctor gave him a sobering assessment.

“You wanna die, my friend?” he remembers the doctor saying. “I give you one week to leave the state. I’ll give you strong medicine.”

The doctor had told him that even the best medicine wasn’t going to help De La Rosa overcome the harsh Michigan winter weather and the likelihood that pneumonia would regain a foothold in his vulnerable lungs.

So, De La Rosa, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, set out for the warmer, drier climes of the Sonoran Desert where he had family.

Now 58, he owns Lamb’s shoe repair in downtown Mesa. With the skills he picked up in Mexico and in Los Angeles, he fixes shoes, purses, jackets and cowboy boots.

So many cowboy boots. His customers bring him 8, 10 pairs at a time. In fact, De La Rosa says looking back, he owes much of his success to being able to fix them.

He wandered into Lamb’s after arriving from Michigan in the late 1990s looking for work. The owner at the time, Frances Public Notices ............... page 2 © Copyright, 2022 East Valley Tribune

Fabian De La Rose owns and operates Lamb’s Shoe Repair in downtown Mesa, which he bought from the woman who hired him when he moved to Arizona from Michigan for health reasons. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer) Shipman, had grown disillusioned with her cobblers and asked De La Rosa how long it would take him to repair a huge pile of boots.

“The lady was so desperate,” he said.

“She opened the door and there were at least 40 pairs of cowboy boots in there, unfinished. When I finished them in two days she couldn’t believe it. She was so happy!”

And De La Rosa was hired.

Five years later, with Shipman in declining health, De La Rosa bought the business on a handshake. Just two weeks after the official paperwork was signed, a woman in her 90’s came through the door and want(USPS 004-616) is published weekly

Mailing Address: 1900 W. Broadway Rd., Tempe, AZ 85282

(480) 898-6500 Steven Strickbine, publisher Paul Maryniak, executive editor

ed to know “who is buying my business,” he remembers her saying.

It was Maude Lamb, the original owner of Lamb’s Shoe Repair. She had only one request, De La Rosa said. “Will you keep the name?” He happily obliged. “Of course,” he told her. “No problem.”

That was a Tuesday. On Thursday, Lamb’s daughter came through the door to tell De La Rosa that “’my mother died last night.

She was very happy’,” she told him.

“They asked me to go to the funeral. At first, they all just looked at me and then they introduced me as the guy who bought the business. They all welcomed me. They Subscriptions are $26 for 2 years, $14 for one year.

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were very nice.”

It is a modest and quaint shop near the corner of MacDonald and Main Streets in Mesa. The walls are covered with plywood paneling, reminiscent of the 1970s. De La Rosa saw no need or reason to modify it, and it does give the place bit of a nostalgic, homey feel.

The shelves along the walls are filled with shoes, leather goods and pictures of family and previous owners. All of it is kept very neat and tidy.

De La Rosa has always made individual customer service a keystone of his business.

During the interview for this story, he was on his hands and knees fitting a special shoe he created for a customer with a partially amputated foot. It fit perfectly. She was thrilled, which made him happy.

“I have to make sure they are happy. I listen. Try to understand what they are looking for. Lots of customers have problems that no one else seems to be able to fix, he said. No customer is the same. They are all different.

You have to be nice. Never in a hurry.”

Across cultural and generational lines, De La Rosa has managed to build a loyal and steady customer base at Lamb’s. But

Public Notice STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION 1. Publication Title: East Valley Business 2. Publication Number: USPS000-000 3. Filing Date: 07-17-2022 4. Issue Frequency: Weekly 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 52 6. Annual Subscription Price: $28 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 1900 W. Broadway Rd., Tempe, AZ 85282 Contact Person: Steve Strickbine Telephone: 480.348.0343 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: 1900 W. Broadway Rd., Tempe, AZ 85282 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Publisher: Steve Strickbine, 1900 W. Broadway Rd., Tempe, AZ 85282 Editor: Paul Maryniak, 1900 W. Broadway Rd., Tempe, AZ 85282 10. Owner: 1900 W. Broadway Rd., Tempe, AZ 85282 11.

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running his modest business has not been without its challenges.

Like most businesses, the pandemic posed a grave challenge to Lamb’s. “COVID times.

It was very, very stressful. Having only three or four customers every day was very difficult,” he said. “Normally, I would have 30 or 40 people. I wondered, where is the money to pay bills and support a Lamb’s Shoe Repair is a modest and quaint shop near the corner family?” of MacDonald and Main Streets in Mesa. The walls are covered He survived while with plywood paneling, reminiscent of the 1970s. (David Minton/ many other businesses Tribune Staff Photographer) did not. “I passed the The cars. Everything.” test,” he said. “Thank God. I was able to De La Rosa is anticipating a return to survive. I was lucky to survive. Very lucky.” normal this summer and customers are He and his wife have raised three daugh- starting to return to their pre-pandemic ters, all of whom attended college. The numbers. youngest recently graduated from ASU He does not take that good fortune for with a degree in chemical engineering. granted. “I work hard. If you don’t work “She is very happy,” he said. “This little hard, you don’t get nothin’. I am busy all shop has fitted me. My family. Pay my bills. day. No excuses.”

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press run) 12 b. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) 3 (2) Mailed In-County Paid Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) 7 (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS® 0 (4)Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (e.g., First Class Mail®) 0 c. Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)) 10 d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies included on PS Form 3541 O (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541 1 (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at other Classes Through the USPS (e.g., First­Class Mail) 0 (4) Free or Nominal Rate

JULY 17, 2022

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Will be printed in the 07-17-2022 issue of this publication.

18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager or Owner. /s/ Steve Strickbine Steve Strickbine, Publisher Date 07-17-2022 I certify that all information furnished in this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/ or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

Published in the East Valley Tribune and East Valley Business on July 17, 2022.

Public Notice CITY OF MESA MESA, ARIZONA ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Mesa is seeking a qualified firm or team to act as the Construction Manager at Risk for the following: Plaza Design MCP Annex PROJECT NO.LF0497 The City of Mesa is seeking a qualified Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) to provide PreConstruction Services assistance and complete Construction Services as the CMAR for the Plaza Design MCP Annex Project.

All qualified firms that are interested in providing these services are invited to submit their Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) in accordance with the requirements detailed in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ).

The project proposes to renovate a portion of the Mesa City Plaza (MCP) building located at 20 East Main Street in Mesa, AZ. The goal of this project is to provide inviting meeting and gathering spaces for the community, staff, and Mesa City Council.

The project scope includes: 1. Demolition of MCP’s “Annex” wing (10,500 SF) located between the 8-story portion of the structure and N Center St 2. Demolition of the “South Plaza” area (19,000 SF) located between MCP and E Main St 3. Construction of a new building having a footprint of approximately 10,000 SF 4. Construction of a new “South Plaza” gathering space 5. Associated Site, Utility, and Landscape improvements The estimated range of construction cost is $20,000,000 $25,000,000. The City anticipates starting construction in January 2023.

The City has entered into a professional services contract with Adaptive Architects for the programming and design of these

City Clerk Published: East Valley Tribune, July 3, 10, 2022 / 47639

improvements. Adaptive Architects will have a 60% submittal prepared prior to execution of the CMAR PreConstruction Services contract.

The CMAR shall work closely with and be an integral part of the project team during the design and construction phases of the project.

A Pre-Submittal Conference will be held on July 13, 2022 at 8 am through Microsoft Teams. If you would like to participate, please send an email to Stephanie Gishey (stephanie.gishey@mesaaz.gov) and request an invitation. At this meeting, City staff will dis-cuss the scope of work and general contract issues and respond to questions from the attendees. Attendance at the pre-submittal conference is not mandatory and all interested firms may submit a Statement of Qualifications whether or not they attend the conference. All interested firms are encouraged to attend the Pre-Submittal Conference since City staff will not be available for meetings or to respond to individual inquiries regarding the project scope outside of this conference. In addition, there will not be meeting minutes or any other information published from the Pre-Submittal Conference.

Contact with City Employees.

All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists, attorneys, and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process. This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms, to assure that contract decisions are made in public, and to protect the integrity of the selection process. All contact on this selection process should be addressed to the authorized representative identified below.

RFQ Lists. The RFQ is available on the City’s website at http:// mesaaz.gov/business/engineering/ construction-manager-at-risk-andjob-order-contracting-opportunities.

The Statement of Qualifications shall include a one-page cover letter, plus a maximum of 10 pages to address the SOQ evaluation criteria (excluding PPVF’s and resumes but including an organization chart with key personnel and their affiliation).

Resumes for each team member shall be limited to a maximum length of two pages and should be attached as an appendix to the SOQ. Minim-um font size shall be 10pt. Please provide one (1) electronic copy of the Statement of Qualifications in an unencrypted PDF format to Engineering-RFQ@ mesaaz.gov by July 21, 2022, by 2 pm. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Statements of Qualifications.

The City is an equal opportunity employer.

Firms who wish to do business with the City of Mesa must be registered in the City of Mesa Vendor Self Service (VSS) System (ht-tp://mesaaz.gov/business/ purchasing/vendor-self-service).

Questions. Questions pertaining to the Construction Manager at Risk selection process or contract issues should be directed to Stephanie Gishey of the Engineering Department at stephanie.gishey@ mesaaz.gov.

BETH HUNING City Engineer ATTEST: Holly Moseley

EAST VALLEY BUSINESS

Public Notice DESTINATION AT GATEWAY (BERGE) OFFSITE PAVING AND WATERLINE WILLIAMS FIELD ROAD COM PROJECT NO. M99-2021047 - ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed bids will be received until 1:00 pm on July 21, 2022.

All sealed bids will be received electronically.

Bids shall be submitted to the following email: EngineeringBids@mesaaz.gov .Bids must be submitted as an unencrypted PDF attachment with a maximum file size of 20MB. Please ensure that your email is smaller than this before sending. Submitted bids that are unable to be opened

by City staff will not be considered for award. Bidders may request a single opportunity to verify that a test email and attachment are received and can be opened by City staff. Test emails must to be sent to EngineeringBids@mesaaz. gov. Any bid received after the time specified will be returned without any consideration.

A non-mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held via Telephone on Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at 1:00p.m. The Conference Bridge call in is 480-535-7460, Phone Conference ID #: 517 917 83# There will not be a pre-bid review of the site.

This contract shall be for furnishing all labor, materials, transportation and services for the construction and/or installation of the following work: DESTINATION AT GATEWAY (BERGE) OFFSITE PAVING AND WATERLINE WILLIAMS FIELD ROAD is located near the intersection of Signal Butte Road and Williams Field Road as outlined in the Improvement Plans for E. Williams Field Road. Improvements will include approximately 2,100 LF of arterial roadway improvements including asphalt pavement, concrete curbing, concrete sidewalk, landscaping and approximately 1170 LF of 24” DIP waterline with associated appurtenances.

The Engineer’s Estimate range is $1,300,000 – 1,500,000.

For all technical, contract, bidrelated, or other questions, please contact Stephanie Gishey at stephanie.Gishey@mesaaz.gov.

Contact with City Employees.

All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists, attorneys, and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process. This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms, to assure that contract decisions are made in public, and to protect the integrity of the selection process. All contact on this selection process should be addressed to the authorized representative identified above.

Contractors desiring to submit proposals may purchase sets of the Bid Documents from ARC Document Solutions, LLC, at https://order.e-arc.com/arcEOC/

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PWELL_Main.asp?mem=29. Click on “Go” for the Public Planroom to access plans. NOTE: In order to be placed on the Plan Holders List and to receive notifications and updates regarding this bid (such as addenda) during the bidding period, an order must be placed. The cost of each Bid Set will be no more than $36, which is non-refundable.

Partial bid packages are not sold.

You can view documents on-line (at no cost), order Bid Sets, and access the Plan Holders List on the website at the address listed above. Please verify print lead time prior to arriving for pick-up. For a list of locations nearest you, go to www.e-arc.com.

Construction and installation work shall be completed within two hundred eighty-seven (287) consecutive calendar days, beginning with the day following the starting date specified in the Notice to Proceed.

Bids must be submitted on the Proposal and Schedule Form provided and be accompanied by a Bid Bond, (PERSONAL OR INDIVIDUAL BID BONDS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE) for ten percent (10%) of the total amount of the Bid, payable to BCB GROUP INVESTMENTS, LLC., as a guarantee that the contractor will enter into a contract to perform the proposal in accordance with the plans and specifications.

The successful bidder will be required to execute the BCB GROUP INVESTMENTS, LLC. Contract and respective Addenda for construction within ten (10) days after formal Notice of Contact Award. Failure by bidder to properly execute the Contract and provide the required certification as specified shall be considered a breach of Contract by bidder. BCB Group Investments, LLC shall be free to terminate the Contract or, at option, release the successful bidder.

Payment and Performance Bonds will be required for this Work. The successful bidder, simultaneously with the execution of the Con-tract, shall be required to furnish a Payment Bond in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, and a Performance Bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Con-tract Price. The successful bidder shall name BCB Group Investments, LLC as obligee on both the Payment and Performance Bonds and name the City of Mesa as an additional obligee on the Performance Bond using a Dual Obligee Rider form. An approved Dual Obligee Rider Form is included in Chapter 2.

The right is hereby reserved to accept or reject any or all bids or parts thereto, to waive any informalities in any proposal and reject the bids of any persons who have been delinquent or unfaithful to any contract with BCB Group Investments, LLC, or the City of Mesa.

BETH HUNING City Engineer ATTEST: Holly Moseley City Clerk Published: East Valley Tribune, July 3, 10, 2022 / 47XX

JULY 17, 2022

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