News
"Anyone Who Says There Aren't Going to Be Cost Overruns Is Fooling Themselves."
PubliCola sat down with City Council member Mike O'Brien in his office yesterday to talk about the waterfront deep-bore tunnel, which O'Brien (along with Mayor Mike McGinn) has consistently opposed. Although O'Brien didn't say he'd support the mayor's vow to oppose
any city-state agreement that put the city on the hook for cost overruns, he did express strong concerns about a provision in state law that, in theory, does just that.
"A lot of people are analyzing this from a technical viewpoint, where they're asking, 'Can the state force the city to pay cost overruns? I think the answer is no," O'Brien said.
However, he added, "Anyone who says there aren't going to be cost overruns is fooling themselves.
"I fear that the state starts boring [the tunnel] and they run into a chunk of granite that they didn't anticipate, and that eats through two-thirds of the contingency. And then they hit a pipe and that eats up another $100 million. And then a surface parking lot starts to sag. And by this time, the Washington State Legislature is controlled by Republicans and they ... walk away from it. What do we do? Do we abandon the project, or do we come up with another billion dollars? That's how the city gets stuck with the bill."
O'Brien also had a lot to say about the proposed north and south portals to the Alaskan Way tunnel, which will be bookended by two massive buildings housing fans to ventilate the tunnel during heavy traffic and emergencies. Last week, the architects chosen to design the portals defended their decision not to include retail in the buildings, saying it was more "intellectually honest" to let passersby see "the working nature of the building"---i.e., the fans and trucks inside.
However, during that same presentation, the architects told council members they were designing the tunnel entrance to resemble a "Northwest river" (that idyllic scene, complete with mature trees, pictured above). "What's the 'intellectual honesty' about trying to make a freeway look like a stream?" O'Brien asked.
Noting that the architects had also referred to lighting the south vent building at night to make it a "beacon for the city," O'Brien added, "I'm working on climate neutrality. How many carbon offsets am I going to have to buy to offset those lights?" Then he rolled up his khakis and took off on his bike for a celebration of Swedish culture in Queen Anne.
"A lot of people are analyzing this from a technical viewpoint, where they're asking, 'Can the state force the city to pay cost overruns? I think the answer is no," O'Brien said.
However, he added, "Anyone who says there aren't going to be cost overruns is fooling themselves.
"I fear that the state starts boring [the tunnel] and they run into a chunk of granite that they didn't anticipate, and that eats through two-thirds of the contingency. And then they hit a pipe and that eats up another $100 million. And then a surface parking lot starts to sag. And by this time, the Washington State Legislature is controlled by Republicans and they ... walk away from it. What do we do? Do we abandon the project, or do we come up with another billion dollars? That's how the city gets stuck with the bill."
O'Brien also had a lot to say about the proposed north and south portals to the Alaskan Way tunnel, which will be bookended by two massive buildings housing fans to ventilate the tunnel during heavy traffic and emergencies. Last week, the architects chosen to design the portals defended their decision not to include retail in the buildings, saying it was more "intellectually honest" to let passersby see "the working nature of the building"---i.e., the fans and trucks inside.
However, during that same presentation, the architects told council members they were designing the tunnel entrance to resemble a "Northwest river" (that idyllic scene, complete with mature trees, pictured above). "What's the 'intellectual honesty' about trying to make a freeway look like a stream?" O'Brien asked.
Noting that the architects had also referred to lighting the south vent building at night to make it a "beacon for the city," O'Brien added, "I'm working on climate neutrality. How many carbon offsets am I going to have to buy to offset those lights?" Then he rolled up his khakis and took off on his bike for a celebration of Swedish culture in Queen Anne.
