Congress, as Owner, Presses Capitol Visitor Center Team

摘要

No owner of a complex construction project sees the job completed without some headaches, and the U.S. Congress is no exception. The 535-member owner of the estimated $550-million U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, under way in Washington, D.C., is pressing contractors on cost growth and schedule slippage. While construction officials acknowledge the site problems, they claim the project can meet a key completion deadline in September 2006. In July 14 testimony to a U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that a series of problems, from inadequate stone delivery to subcontractor legal battles, could delay the 588,000-sq-ft underground facility by six months or be costly to expedite. The report by GAO, Congress' investigative arm, is the latest in monthly project updates to its inquisitive owner.