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.
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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.
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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.
