WORCESTER, Mass. - Concrete is being poured and steel beams put up at Worcester’s Doherty High School replacement project, but almost six months after breaking ground, the project is $30 million over budget and the city still hasn’t awarded a bid for the electrical work.

The cost is likely to further increase the longer the city waits to award the electrical sub-bid, according to a source close to the project.

According to the City of Worcester, the project received two electrical sub-bids, — Ostrow Electrical Co. for $30,360,000, and Wayne J. Griffin Electric, Inc. for $30,550,000. 

In April, Griffin Electric filed a protest to Attorney General Maura Healey’s office against Ostrow’s bid for listing a supplier who will not be performing labor as a sub-subcontractor for the school’s new Public Address system. 

Ostrow cross-protested Griffin’s bid, arguing that Griffin doesn’t meet the qualification requirements to be a vendor of the PA system. In response, Griffin said it could fully perform the PA system work and doesn’t need to prove its own qualification as part of the protest against Ostrow.

The attorney general’s office didn’t hold a hearing on the protest and the record was closed on April 14.

On April 19, the attorney general ruled in favor of Griffin Electric and disqualified Ostrow’s bid, leaving Griffin Electric as the sole bidder on the job. Ostrow contested the attorney general’s finding, but was denied. 

The AG’s office said Griffin needs to prove its qualifications as vendor of the PA system following the post-award submission and not as part of the bid. 

The city didn’t take a position on the issues presented in Griffin’s protest and continues to review the bid from Griffin Electric and verify qualifications, including the requirements to be the vendor of the PA system. As of this week, Griffin hasn't provided the city with the necessary qualifications.

Requests for comment from both Ostrow and Griffin weren’t immediately returned.