The Miami-Dade Performing Arts Center currently (and perpetually) under construction has bumped up its final project cost again (username: ajreader@artsjournal.com / password: access), much to the frustration and chatter of county government and citizenry. I’ve touched on the huge and complex project before (first in this weblog entry last September, and then again last November), because it’s such an astounding bundle of intrigue, politics, power, and misunderstanding.
A call for bids at the end of 2000 was hoping for a final construction cost of around $200 million. The lowest bid came in at $280 million. And that was just for construction, without architects fees and other softer costs. The latest estimates rise another $67 million above all previously estimated costs to $411 million ($254.6 million for construction, $89.4 for architect’s fees, land, and insurance, and an additional $67 million in proposed cost overruns). Beyond that pricetag, the center also says it will need another $17.4 million in fixtures, furnishings, security systems, phones, computers and other equipment, and another $10 million in pre-opening operating costs.
Miami-Dade’s county commissioners were publicly cranky about the new estimates, and seeking some sort of head to put on some sort of platter. But it also seemed obvious to all of them that they couldn’t stop this train, and that even the estimates they were seeing were likely low.
It brings to mind an aphorism I heard at a recent leadership event:
There are two phases to every project: too soon to tell, and too late to do anything about it.
Miami is now in phase two.
