Convention Center Update? - PhillyBlog

dealmaker · #1 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 12:56 PM

Does anyone have any information on what the state has offered any of the property owners in the line of the Convention Center expansion.

I have noticed that some of the parking lots are empty and I am sure deals have been made?

Please post!

Thanks

CrayzeeGuy · #2 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 06:01 PM

All i know is that what they are offering is not enough to start up a new location for most of the former business owners. The Inky and Daily news have had stories, but havent really mentioned solid figures.

finch00 · #3 (**permalink**) 11-11-2006, 03:20 PM

the parking lots are closed for core testing.

eldondre · #4 (**permalink**) 11-11-2006, 09:13 PM

Quote:

When the authority's consultants costed the building in October, it came in at a whopping $783 million, forcing the project team to begin a painful process of "value engineering" that reduced the cost first to $749 million and now to $717 million.
The volatile costs are so out of whack that the Convention Center Authority has been unable to sign with the Rendell administration what's known as a delegation agreement, which would enable the authority to get its money and contract out the work.
In June, the Rendell administration pushed a $300 million capital-budget item for center expansion through the General Assembly. That raised the commonwealth's total commitment to $700 million.
One state source close to the expansion project noted, "The $700 million is a very hard line in the sand. They [Convention Center officials] are being told, 'If you can't do the expansion for $700 million, it won't get built.' "

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/15976644.htm

eldondre · #5 (**permalink**) 12-14-2006, 12:24 PM

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/16233885.htm

zur · #6 (**permalink**) 12-14-2006, 12:51 PM

You better comment on the article or you'll get yelled at!

thunda · #7 (**permalink**) 12-14-2006, 01:56 PM

Commentary:

thunda: eggregious waste of government money, subsidy to political insiders, sop to the construction unions, waste of urban real estate, poor return on investment.

zur: it's the only way we'll get the money, that's the way things are done in philly, yay for poor policy.

We've been down this road before :-)