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FJagpole Magazine
October 2, 1991
From Behind the Curtain...
Choices, Decisions and Mistakes
The time has come. After this issue goes to press on
Tuesday afternoon the Classic Center Authority will hold a
meeting and decide which civic center plan to recom
mend. or decide to postpone their decision for a little while
longer. There are several factors that will decide which de
sign the authority recommends, and they warrant some
discussion.
Politics
This project has had quite a history. The Preliminary
Design Program was an excellent document. If it had been
used as the basis for determining which architect to select,
we would be watching the building going up and not still
talking about what type of civic center to build. Politics and
hidden agendas corrupted the process. So far, it has cost
the community over one million dollars, and the meter is still
running.
The Authority and the Commissioners will be making a
decision that needs to be based on the future. Egos have
been bruised. Feelings have been hurt The issue has
become very personal. Mistakes have been made, and
there is plenty of blame to spread around. The Authority
and the Commission have to do something that is very hard:
they have to put aside their egos, grudges and hidden
agendas and choose the best design available for the civic
center
Politics is the unspoken factor that governs the Civic
Center Debate. The size of the meeting rooms or the
number of seats in the theater is not as important as the po
litical power each design represents The Polshek design
is politics as usual. It was born benmd closed doors and
from its inception its backers and architects have had
nothing but disdain for public participation in the process
The KressCox design represents political change. It is the
outcome of public interest and participation in the process.
It is not surprising that a majority of citizens and all the local
press support this design: it represents us. It is a building
we can all feel we own. because if it is built, it will be
because we demanded it. There are those in the govern
ment who are extremely uncomfortable with public partici
pation. Expect them to pull out all the stops in an effort to
approve the Polshek design. They will create many reasons
to defend the mediocre Polshek designs, but the biggest
two will be money and loyalty
Money
The design estimates supplied by Hardin Manage
ment to the Authority designated KressCox as the most ex
pensive and Polsheck Two (surprisingly the firm did not
evaluate Polshek One)as the least expensive. KressCox
was estimated to cost 17 4 million, and Polshek was esti
mated at 16.4 million. The estimates were based on simple
drawings and design descriptions supplied by the Author
ity to Hardin. They are estimates that have a large built-in
margin of error. The Hardin Company did the best job they
could with tne information and instructions that they had.
The results are the only good news that supporters of the
Polshek design have heard all year. However, we do have
other indications about how much this project will cost.
The track record of the two firms needs to be consid
ered. KressCox has brought other projects in under budgei
and has demonstrated the imagination, resolve and exper
tise needed to get the most out of every dollar spent. To
date, Polshek has overcharged us at every step in the proc
ess. They charged us $11,000 for the model that sits in the
I hope that their recommendation
to the commission will be
to use the design submitted by
KressCox and Associates.
courthouse. When the firm was last in town they refused to
say if they thought their second design could be built within
budget. They implied it would cost more. If Polshek Two is
the design that is chosen, it is likely that it will go at least one
million dollars over budget. It is also a design that Athens/
Clarke will keep paying for.
The second Polshek design allows no room for future
expansion. The space for the meeting rooms, exhibit hall,
theater and banquet hall is inadequate. It is ugly and lacks
popular support. The Firehall is plopped into the middle of
the first Polshek design, and the effect is the bastardization
of both buildings that Jim Garrison always warned us
about. To choose either Polshek design is to act fiscally ir
responsibly. It is a building that will always require tax sub
sidies and will be a drain on the community instead of an
asset.
If money was going to be the only factor used in deter
mining which design to choose, the KressCox design
would be the only logical choice. It meets or exceeds the
requirements of the original program. It can be built within
budget. It has wide-based community support. It will
promote positive development in downtown Athens. It will
be able to cover its expenses and be an asset to the
community. The KressCox design will be a civic center we
can be proud of.
Loyalty
If money is a quasi-factual argument in support of the
Polshek design, loyalty is a quasi-emotional one. It is hard
to understand. The idea is that we (as a community) owe
something to Polshek and Associates. Never mind that the
firm has demonstrated a complete lack of respect for
Athens or t. they have overcharged us. We are told that
we owe them something. I would think that paying them 1.2
million dollars for a mediocre, unimaginative and useless
design would more than cover any debt that we might have
owed them. However, it seems that some members of the
Authority and the commission are suffering from "Stock
holm Syndrome’ when it comes to our relationship with
Polshek and Associates. The loyalty argument is either a
ruse to mask some political agenda or evidence of a severe
co-dependent, maladaptive behavioral problem that will
require years of counseling to treat.
Predictions
By the time the Authority meets next Tuesday, this paper
will have already gone to press. I hope that their recom
mendation to the commission will be to use the design
submitted by KressCox and Associates. It is the best
design by any measurement. That is my hope, but I’m
afraid I will be disappointed. I think they will choose Pol
shek Two. I think the explanation they offer will be based on
money and loyalty. I think the real reason will be old
grudges, hurt feelings and the corrupting influence of
politics. I hope that I'm wrong, and that the Polshek plan
and the rift it causes in this community can be buried
forever. However, if the Authority does recommend Pol
shek, the battle will move to the commissioners. Their
phones should be ringing off the hook with calls from
citizens urging them to approve the KressCox Plan. The
final moments of this issue are at hand. We have a choice
between quality and mediocacy; inclusion in local govern
ment or exclusion. This is only one issue, but a victory here
will let us all know: We own this Government. We all have
power. The time to be heard is now.
Dennis F. Greema
Publisher, Falgpole Magazine
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Call Your Commissioners
and let them know how you feel!
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Tal DuVall • 549-1349 Charles Carter • 543-9755
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