Rejected YWCA bids says more about budget than it does about costs.
In the world of medicine, it is not unheard of for patients to call for a second opinion if they doubt (or can’t deal with) the findings of the original diagnosis. But, if that second opinion confirms the original findings, most people accept it and try to move on, reassured that the advice given has come from a recognised expert.
This, apparently, isn’t how it works on the world of demolition, a fact that is illustrated beautifully by the outright rejection of two bids to demolish a former YWCA centre in Des Monies.
The Des Moines City Council voted 7-0 Monday to reject all of the demolition bids for the former YWCA building in downtown Des Moines. The city received just two bids to demolish the vacant building; the bids were an average of $572,315 over the city engineer’s $1.65 million project estimate.
Rather than asking the city engineer where he got his estimate, city officials will redesign the project and solicit new bids in hopes the project will stay on budget. Apparently, the considered opinion of two presumably professional demolition companies is not equal to that of a city-employed bean counter.
Well, we’ve got a message for you. If it looks like a duck and quack like a duck, chances are….it’s a duck!
