[C19fan]

Emaar is using Santiago Calatrava as the architect. The NY Port Authority made the wrong decision to use him for the new Path station at the World Trade Center and his monstrosity went over budget by the billions. Calatrava has a reputation for going way over budget on megaprojects like this.

[Dallas59]

Are these buildings profitable?

[Tenacious 1]

All projects like this are underbudgeted and for several reasons.

The pressure to get the deals inked drives budgets and estimates DOWN into ghastly, but manageable, ideas of conceptual plans to create the illusion of commitment. They have to start somewhere that they can point to facts and data to support. But, since it has never been done, who is to say their data is wrong. The deal is made, money is paid, loans are locked in and the ball starts rolling down hill. The big money knows the key is to get the investors pregnant. Once they are far enough along, they can’t afford to stop. So the battle to survive the deal long enough to collect a return (any return) starts as soon as a shovel hits the ground.

Now and therefore, all things considered, who is paying the bill makes a difference.

[wideminded]

I keep wondering if there is some connection between the destruction of the WTC and the building of all these super-skyscrapers in the middle east.

[mountainlion]

Your gas dollars at work. Think of what this country could be like if the energy dollars stayed here.

[wardaddy]

Architects don’t determine budgets alone

The construction manager petitions the architect as the owners rep for change orders for cost increases

Unless things have changed since last time I built a property from dirt up

2009

And builders or construction managers here?