One of my former clients is a small school in Eastern Oklahoma. My architectural firm had designed their last two projects. Last summer their school was completely destroyed by multiple fires set by an arsonist. Our firm was interviewed and felt we had a great chance of getting the job since we were the only ones with plans to the complex, surveys, etc. (The school lost theirs in the fire.) To my surprise the school had a new superintendent and new board members. They did not know us at all!
Seems that one of our competitors and a contractor went around (what the rest of us knew as) the rules and got the job. They have been working on the design for six months.
One of our current projects is another school fire project (accidental). Construction is almost complete on this elementary school and it will re-open exactly one year from the time of the fire.
The two schools have the same insurance company. This leads the the rest of the story.
The first school is no where near construction and is two million over budget. The school and their design/construction team said that it would take $6,000,000 dollars to replace the school because of "New Code requirements". The insurance company compared the prices to our project and hired our team to give it a look. Our price was $3,800,000!
The school was insured for $4,000,000 so it is do-able, right? The insurance company says that the school spent so much money for portable buildings, consultants, etc. that they now don't have enough insurance money to build! The insurance company is not happy campers!
While I would like to have a project, here is another part of the tale. This school has 100 students and there are four similar schools within five miles in all four directions that could absorb this school.
Decisions, Decisions
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