New Stadium Questions: What Comes First, Design Or Cost?

[NT80]

We haven't had a stadium thread in about a week, so it's time again....

NT recently closed bids for an architectural/design firm for the new stadium and will announce the winner by February. Some questions for those who might know how construction like this works:

Does NT pre-set the amount it wants to $pend for the project and present a "wish list" to the design firm for them to work from, or just the wish list and the design firm sets the price based on what the design involves in it? Say NT wants to spend $60 million tops and wants it to include 30,000 bench seats, 5,000 club/chairback seats, 30 suites, 3-story pressbox, lounge, dining/meeting room plus the normal concession and restroom items. Or does the design firm say for $60 mil you can get this....? And do different design firms offer designs based on that amount? Is there usually a construction firm linked already to a design firm or is that bid seperately to determine formal build price?

It seems in the new Cowboy Stadium that costs continue to rise, now over $100 million more than when they originally started the project, total = $1.1 Billion.

[GreenMachine]

I want to talk about helmet stickers.

[GreenN'walinsVet]

Part of the reason the Cowboys Stadium pricetag is going up is beccause Pro teams have started a trend of beginging a building project before the stadium is completly designed. When they started contstructing the Cowboys stadium it was only 80 or so percent designed.

Once they get the structure designed they start building to reduce the construction timeline. So the reason its going up is because Jones is continually adding more and more details to the stadium witch in turn is rising construction costs.

I wouldnt think we (NT) would have to worry about such a thing. Since we are limited to a budget (for the most part) unlike Jones, I have a feeling our stadium will be designed down to the last detail, then and only then will we ask for bids on it. Then we will use those bids, to select the contractor that we want to build it and go from there.

[NT80]

Since we are limited to a budget (for the most part) unlike Jones, I have a feeling our stadium will be designed down to the last detail, then and only then will we ask for bids on it. Then we will use those bids, to select the contractor that we want to build it and go from there.

Makes sense. It would be interesting to see all the designs that are submitted to stay within a general price range.

[DallasGreen]

Makes sense. It would be interesting to see all the designs that are submitted to stay within a general price range.

It would be interesting to see the $$$$$ that have been raised at ANY price range. As of today we couldn't have built C. H. Collins that DISD built.

[UNTLifer]

It would be interesting to see the $$$$$ that have been raised at ANY price range. As of today we couldn't have built C. H. Collins that DISD built.

Why would a design/architect firm submit designs, etc... without the knowledge that the client has the money to move forward? Pretty common knowledge that ducks need to be in a row prior to moving to this step. Now is all of the money in place? No, but I think we are much farther along than many believe.

Your negativety is wearing thin. What is your problem with NT now? Is it RV? Is it Dodge? Is it another coach? Why don't you take some time away from the board instead of shooting down everything NT is doing?

[DeepGreen]

Why would a design/architect firm submit designs, etc... without the knowledge that the client has the money to move forward?

The design/architect firm gets paid for their "paper" work whether the stadium is built or not. Remember, this is simply to design a stadium concept, maybe even complete with blueprints and engineering drawings. NT would have to have a complete set of construction plans in order to go out for bid on the project.