The County Commission will vote soon on a 50% increase in the cost of building a stadium for the Gwinnett Braves. The breakdown of the cost increases are:
> $7.5 million to extend the concourse all the way around the stadium, put a canopy over part of the stadium and upgrade finishes
> $1.5 million to allow for the use of highly treated wastewater to irrigate fields and flush toilets, saving 5 million to 7 million gallons of drinking water a year
> $6.8 million to put the stadium’s storm water detention pond underground, remove unexpected rock, beef up retaining walls to maximize use of the site and increase the size of sewer pipes to deal with a longer-than-expected run to hook up with county facilities
> $1 million to account for increased material costs
> $2.2 million in management fees and other costs that are charged as a percentage of the overall contract
That the stadium will cost more is not a surprise, but a 50% increase over the original projections is quite astounding. Nevertheless Richard Tucker, Chairman of the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau doesn’t see what the big deal is. Tucker told the AJC:
“While it appears somewhat shocking I guess how big the increase is, it is not shocking to us,”
Tucker also told the Gwinnett Daily Post:
“This happens every day in the real estate business,” said Tucker, a developer. “You adjust to it and you do it. In this case, they are public funds, so we are even more careful.”
Richard Tucker is a smart businessman and you can’t tell me that he would simply smile and “just do it” if one of his developments suddenly cost 50% more than originally thought. Wouldn’t it make sense to step back and recalculate the viability of that project? Yet Tucker and others involved in this have no need to worry because the County Commission has absolutely no choice but to approve spending this money. The Richmond Braves are coming, opening day is next April, and the stadium better be ready. If Gwinnett were to back out now they would never get another shot at minor-league baseball.
Over time this will be forgotten and sure, I’m still excited about the Braves coming to Gwinnett, but the ease at which Richard Tucker and the others involved in the construction of the stadium spent an additional $19 million is mind-boggling. I guess it’s easy when it’s not coming directly out of your own pocket.
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