Monday, September 22, 2008

Forgetting Murphy's Law

I do a bit of construction law from time to time. Since I have no architecture, engineering, or project management background, the cases I get tend to be fairly simple "who caused the delay that kept the building from opening on time" disputes. Oftentimes in these things there's some email from someone involved in the project over-promising something. They always get used as exhibits when things go sideways. They often read like this, taken from today's "Cathedral FAQ" about Yankee Stadium, old and new:

4. Is there any concern that the new facility won't be ready on time?

None. Twenty-five months after breaking ground, the Yankees say that they are right on schedule, with 75 percent of the construction complete, and 80 percent of the seats installed. The lead project coordinator said that all the heavy work had been done and they're on to the trims and finishes.
Everything I've seen suggests that this is the case, but man, you know there's some lawyer who works for the contractor reading that this morning, shaking his head and wondering why he lets anyone talk to the press.

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