By Juan Montoya
We wouldn't blame the average Brownsville taxpayer if they don't believe that the contractor on the carcass of the Stegman Building Performing Arts Academy on the corner of 11th and Washington had gone through more than a half million in change orders since they started the job.
The building has literally been gutted and only the shell remains. But during the last meeting of the city commission, the commissioners approved a change order for $247,435.The original contract cost was to be $5,030,600 with a "contingency fund" of $306,400.
However, the contractor – Alpha Construction of Harlingen – went through that sum like a hot knife through butter in seven change orders. Since it was part of the "contingency" fund included in the original contract, the change orders did not have to get commission approval.
After having gone through that, the contractor and city officials had to come back to the commission and get an additional $247,435 for the eighth change order for another $247,435 that includes another $100,000 as a "contingency."
With the approval of the last change order, it means that they got and additional $553,835 added to the original contract price of $5,030,600 and that the project will end up costing a total of $5,584,435.
In addition, downtown merchant shave been complaining to anyone who will listen that the contractor's blocking of 11th Street between Elizabeth and Washington was hurting their businesses.
At the last meeting, the commissioners told city administrators to order the contractor to open up at least one lane to help ease the congestion.
Will that be enough to get the project back on schedule?
Da Mayor Tony Martinez and city commissioner Cesar de Leon told the city officials in charge of the project that they report back to them with an update to make sure the project is progressing with some hope of it becoming a reality.
At close to $6 million with more than half a million in change orders, it might be one of the more expensive projects that the city has embarked on.
19 comments:
poco a poco
It would be nice to know who owns alpha construction?
So what?
Typical in bog construction projects. you simply do not know about those things, Juan.
Over 5.5million dlrs wtf are the toilets made of gold.For that kinda of money they could have built a new building with parking.tax payers money hard at work
And they threw away materials that could have been repurposed on the job as well. All the original doors, windows, framing wood, etc. All superior materials to what will end up being used. Ask for the change orders, I bet they are bogus. And a lot of it on unnecessary demolition.
The sad thing is that building will not generate real funds to overcome the investment which is translated in pure losses for Brownsville's tax payers.
That is open road thievery, for 5 Millions you can build a state of the art Theater and bring Broadway plays every week.
ALL THE CITY,
( COMMISSIONER'S & ADMINISTRATORS ),ARE TRYING TO DO IS
POLISH A TURD !! ALL THAT MONEY SPENT ON A PIECE OF SHIT BUILDING ! SIDEWALKS NEAR AND AROUND SCHOOLS SUCK , FLOODING IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE CITY , ETC ETC MANY OTHER WAYS TO SPEND & IMPROVE OTHER CITY AREAS BUT THEY CHOOSE TO FIX A SHIT BUILDING SO THE MOJADOS FROM ACROSS CAN COME SHOPPING IN AN "IMPROVED" SHOPPING AREA....
It's an old building which they want to make look state of the art. Old means the Texas Historical Commission gets involved and doesn't just let you do what you want with the building. That's what drives up costs. More change orders to come. I guarantee it. The sad part is that this performing arts academy model will never work without massive continuous subsidies which the City has already told that dumbass Georgre Ramirez he's not getting.
Montoya, look into the Southmost Hike and Bike trail. Purchasing gave the contract to a company WITHOUT bonds and that company screwed the city over!
RATAS
You can blame it on the mayor, he spent our tax payers money on buildings that were not worth noting.not even half their worth, they need to repair our streets.
The one to blame here is the Architect for omissions that made to change orders possible. Thank the mayor for pressuring to make sure his friends from San Antonio got hired as the Architects for this project. If the commission think this is the contractors fault it is just evidence to the fact that they are clueless as to how this process really works and who should be responsible.
Had they knocked it down you all would be crying like babies - history destroyed, bla bla bla. just saying... you cry about everything.
get a job.
I was not aware that the city had purchased the historic Young Family Home on St. Charles.
5 million + for a shell that has stood there blocking traffic and a nuisance. As it is, people don't go down town. What do they think will come out of that building? Fine arts? Look at what has happened with the high quality Fine Arts building at the college. How many time is it used for fine arts presentations. Pave the streets, clean the neighborhoods, get rid of the panhandlers breaking an ordinance (one which no one enforces). You pave Central Blvd which is in the middle of no-where but the sreets and sidewalks around schools are deplorable. Look at Tangelo and Roosevelt for one. But since it is for the poor barrio kids and parents from Faulk, who cares? Get you act together Cabler, so-called city manager que no sabe hacer nada - ni hablar con un microphone.
Hell, look at the San Fernando building, the city bought for $380,000, then spent a couple of hundreds of thousands of dollars rebuilding it. And all that money for what? Some nonprofit taking advantage using it rent free. Same thing happened with market square. Puras ratas de dos patas.
WHERE IS THE FIRE CHIEF IN THIS TO MAKE SURE FIRE CODES ARE ENFORCED ? SO THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY DONT FK IT UP AND COST TAX PAYERS MORE WITH FINES ETC
* MAKE SURE THAT BUILDING MEETS FIRE CODE !!!
Why spend millions of dollars on new lights for downtown. Who dares to go downtown during the day, much less at night. Set your priorities straight before coughing up money for compadres and/or political officials.
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