November 11, 2003
Tram Designer To Show Design Concepts, Calls Budget Estimate 'Political'
Tomorrow evening, Sarah Graham (of Angelil/Graham/Pfenninger/Scholl) will present the current state of design concepts for the proposed North Macadam-Marquam Hill tram at a public meeting and open house at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Portland.
In today's Oregonian, architecture columnist Randy Gragg details what to expect, including more likely conflict over cost:
In short, the public will get a complete overview of what Graham's team has nicknamed "the biggest little project" because it has so many parts spread over two-thirds of a mile. The meeting also will offer the first glimpses of a future debate about the quality and depth of the project, which Graham candidly concedes will almost certainly require more the current $15.5 million budget.
The linchpin to a $1.9 billion development deal between the city, private developers and OHSU and the next chapter in Portland's history of transportation innovation would be "a ski lift" with the current budget, Graham says. "But whether or not any architect or designer could be involved is another level of discussion."
Thus begins what promises to be a dramatic tug-of-war about how good is good enough for a project with international implications.
In an accompanying interview, Graham labels the $15.5 million estmate a "political" number:
But just to qualify, the current budget number, $15.5 million, was pulled from the air. No real estimate was ever made. I would say it was very valid political number. Certainly it never contained any contigencies (money for unexpected problems). And this is a project that will, obviously, have big contingencies because it is so difficult. So I don't know what it will cost, but I wouldn't take $15.5 million to Las Vegas.
Certainly this will make for an interesting time as the controversy over the tram project continues, although she may of course be entirely correct that the figure has nothing whatsoever to do with engineering and construction realities. It is, however, the figure with the project was pitched to the community-at-large.
For her part, Graham appears to indicate that if the City doesn't want to pursue a project if the costs associated with doing the project well are indeed higher, her firm might simply walk away, under the professional ethos of not wanting to be involved in a half-assed job.
There's a Quicktime clip of her firm's winning presentation via Portland Aerial Transportion. Tomorrow's open house begins at 6:30 PM and goes until 9:00 PM, in the ballroom of the Portland Marriott at 1401 SW Naito Parkway.