(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The opening of Tulsa’s BOK Center will be delayed at least four months as the arena’s designers looks for ways to overcome $32 million in construction bid overruns.
The original April 2008 opening for the downtown facility will likely be pushed to August or beyond, according to the Tulsa World.
“That time frame is really dependent on the outcome of our analysis and what we end up recommending,” Tulsa Vision Builders Project Director Bart Boatright told the paper, saying the project has a complex construction schedule with a lot of intertwined elements.
“If there’s anything in our ability to reduce that delay, we will certainly do so.”
No decisions regarding design changes or alternative building methods or materials have yet been made, said Boatright.
Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor declined to say whether she would be willing to seek additional public donations for the $141 million project, which is being funded by the Vision 2025 sales tax approved by Tulsa County voters in 2003.
“I don’t think it is prudent to speculate on the success that they will have and the alternatives that they might present to the city,” she told the paper. “I think we need to wait and act responsibly on the data that our professionals are going to provide to us.”
Representatives from the arena’s architectural and design team will meet with the Tulsa Vision Builders construction team to determine how to proceed. A “master list” of options will be produced that will show their impact on the project’s budget, schedule and design. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
