Next Tuesday’s city council agenda has item 9C on it that will authorize spending $40,182,111 to build our new ballpark.
The contract details are way out of my league (sorry, couldn’t resist), but I did note a few things:
- The construction documents are not due in from the architect until May 17, 2013 according to the contract with the architect. Maybe the dates have changed and the design is all done, after all council approved the contract with the architect way back on November 27, 2012. How long does it take to design a ball park anyway — especially when your local cabal has complete control over what we get for our money?
- Demolition is now budgeted at $2.5 million dollars, not the $2 million we have been told about all along. Maybe someone has a car payment due.
- The city engineer will have complete control over the design (without city council approval). “…the City Engineer may without further authorization from City Council approve contract changes which are necessary for proper execution of the work and carrying out the intent of the project, which are in accordance with applicable law, do not make changes to the prices ad are within the appropriate budget”.
- If the firm can bring the ballpark in under budget, the firm will get 30% of the savings.
If the design is finished, we citizens would sure like to see it. I for one would like to see how they “fit” the stadium to the site. Will first base really only have a few spectator rows? Will they put part of the park on top of the train way (cough, sputter)? Will Santa Fe and Durango disappear? I have a lot of questions.
Once again, I really don’t know how these kinds of deals work. If I understood what is really going on I would probably be ill.
I suppose that you could convince me that it is in our interest, since we evidently have an agreed upon price for a facility that we have no plans for, that the city engineer can change at his will, and where the contractor will get 30% of the savings. Then again, I think not.
We deserve better
elpasospeak 
Looks like another “no bid” contract.
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I have come into some information from a city employee (not going to mention name) that this all started secretly back in 2008. I was thinking why all this was moving so fast and so efficiently from the city to block and position it self so easily around every move and counter move out there. Having 4 years to plan and think of everything is the way to do things. Now i know why my butt hurts.
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