The 'Vision'

[howard.beale]

Why isn't anyone talking about the failure of the program manager and the construction manager to scope in the architect of the new arena to achieve budget constraints.  Isn't that their responsibility in lieu of the hubaloo that is spouted in the daily rag?  I understand that architects should be responsible for developing designs within budget constraints; but that is why program managers and construction managers are hired, which is to continuously price designs as they are developed to ensure that the architect does not proceed with the next level of design development without some level of independent verification that the current design will achieve budget constraints.  

The excuses provided about Katrina, Rita, etc. are to some degree valid in that there is unprecendeted pricing in the market, but that is why we hired a program manager and a construction manager.  Their responsibility was to continuously monitor market pricing so that the budget could be achieved.  The entities comprising the construction manager have a combined work-in-process of nearly $2.5B which should provide adequate resources for knowledge of the current pricing structure within the markets, especially in consideration of the premium that has been rendered to date.

I assume that the former mayor never considered holding the program manager and/or construction manager liable for allowing the architect to wet our appetites with something that we cannot afford; but I have now seen it, I want it and I am even willing to pay for it, but the current program manager and construction manager must change, even if the contractors are from out of state.  The program manager and the construction manager have not achieved the required deliverables to date; they should not be rewarded for the balance of the project with additional compensation.  If we are going to add $32.0MM to the project, include costs for a new program manager and construction manager.