As you may know, the Nashville Metro Council recently passed the $585 million financing package for construction of the new Music City Convention Center. As reported by the Tennessean this morning, discussions have now turned to project management and how to control the costs.
When asked about what areas would incur the most cost overruns, two divergent opinions emerged:
- Marty Dickens, Chairman of the Metro Convention Center Authority, said, "All of ’em."
- Larry Atema, CEO of Commonwealth Development Group and the owner’s representative on this project, responded: "There aren’t going to be any."
Who’s right? I am not sure either opinion is completely correct. Cost overruns can occur when the contractor justifies any reasonable change order, whether it is the result of an owner-directed change request, a change in available materials, a change due to design conflicts, or an unanticipated delay in the work. While there may be cost-savings built into the project’s estimate, these can be rare on a sizeable project like the convention center. Add to the mix the multitude of players involved in the financing package: mortgage bankers, accountants, and cost engineers.
To say that every trade or scope of construction will incur a cost overrun simply ignores the fact that there is a contractual guaranteed maximum price. Additionally, there are a number of reputable, downright excellent contractors involved in this project who will do whatever is necessary to stay on budget. Sure, there will always be the few participants trying to make an extra buck or two through change orders. But that should not be the expectation.
On the other hand, to say that "there aren’t going to be any" cost overruns may be simply a case of project management optimism. Indeed, Atema recognizes that "[d]evelopment and construction is an imperfect process." Atema continues: "The key is the ability to manage those imperfections."
Image: Music City Center