Capitol Visitor Center: Update on Schedule and Cost
Highlights
This testimony discusses the progress on the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) project. Specifically, this testimony discusses (1) the status of the project schedule since Congress's October 18, 2005, hearing on the project, (2) the project's costs and funding, and (3) worker safety issues. We will discuss the progress made and problems encountered in completing scheduled construction work and in continuing to develop the project schedule, as we indicated during Congress's October 18 hearing; however, we will not be able to estimate specific completion dates until the project schedule is stable and the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) and its construction management contractor--Gilbane Building Company--have completed their assessments of the schedule and we have had an opportunity to evaluate them. Also, we will update the information we previously provided on the project's costs and funding, using readily available data, but we will wait until the project schedule is stable and has been fully reviewed before we comprehensively update our November 2004 estimate of the cost to complete the project and update the provision in our estimate for risks and uncertainties facing the project.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Architect of the Capitol | To help ensure that Congress receives a more reliable estimate of the project's completion date in order to plan for the Capitol Visitor Center's (CVC) opening to the public and make more informed decisions about the Architect of the Capitol's funding needs for CVC construction and operations, the Architect of the Capitol should implement the recommendations (which are consistent with our prior recommendations on schedule management) made by its construction management contractor in its November 9 report on its schedule evaluation. |
Closed – Not Implemented
There were four major recommendations addressed in the November 2005 CVC testimony as recommended by the construction manager's November 9, 2005 report. The first two recommendations, as noted on page 9 of the CVC testimony, were partially completed. However, the second two recommendations were not completed.
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| Architect of the Capitol | To help ensure that Congress receives a more reliable estimate of the project's completion date in order to plan for the Capitol Visitor Center's (CVC) opening to the public and make more informed decisions about the Architect of the Capitol's funding needs for CVC construction and operations, the Architect of the Capitol should reassess its proposal to open the CVC in mid-December 2006 when it is confident that it has a project schedule that reflects realistic durations, enhanced logic, the resolution of concerns expressed by the Fire Marshal Division, and the impact of delays and contract changes. |
Closed – Implemented
AOC has since revised it's expected completion date several times. It last updated the completion date on November 15, 2006 at the Senate hearing. At this time AOC stated it expected the CVC to complete in late 2007. GAO is currently predicting completion in early 2008.
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