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class="cell w-8 main_column"> <article> <header> <h1><a href="/web/20150624234545/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/22/alternative-construction-contracts-come-under-fire/">Contracting Experiment Drawing Mixed Reviews</a></h1> <ul class="meta separator"><li class="byline"> by Eva Hershaw </li><li><time datetime="Fri, 22 May 2015 06:00:00 -0500" title="2015-05-22 06:00"> May 22, 2015 </time></li><li class="comments"><a class="comments" href="/web/20150624234545/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/22/alternative-construction-contracts-come-under-fire/comments/"><span class="value">4</span><span class="label">Comments</span></a></li></ul> </header> <aside> <ul class="social_links"> <li class="comment"> <a href="/web/20150624234545/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/22/alternative-construction-contracts-come-under-fire/comments/" title=""> <i class="icon-comments-alt"></i> <span>Comment</span> </a> </li> <li class="republish"> <a href="/web/20150624234545/http://www.texastribune.org/content/republish/87151/"> <i class="icon-share"></i> <span>Republish</span> </a> </li> <li class="email"> <a href="/web/20150624234545/http://www.texastribune.org/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#417e3234232b2422357c152924647371152439203264737115332823342f247b647371022e2f3533202235282f266473710439312433282c242f3564737105332036Xing%20Mixed%20Reviews&body=I%20read an article%20that%20you%20might%20be%20interested%20in%20at%20The%20Texas%20Tribune:%20Contracting%20Experiment%20Drawing%20Mixed%20Reviews%2C%20by%20Eva Hershaw.%20http://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/22/alternative-construction-contracts-come-under-fire/%0DAfter%20four%20years%20of%20trying%20out%20a%20new%20way%20of%20awarding%20state%20contracts%20known%20as%20design-build%2C%20lawmakers%20aren%27t%20sure%20taxpayers%20get%20a%20better%20deal%2C%20and%20Texas%20businesses%20say%20they%27re%20being%20muscled%20out%20of%20jobs%20by%20larger%2C%20out-of-state%20companies.%26nbsp%3B" title="" class="email"> <i class="icon-envelope"></i> <span>Email</span> </a> </li> <li class="twitter"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150624234545/http://twitter.com/share?text=Contracting Experiment Drawing Mixed Reviews&url=http://trib.it/1PzJWBl&via=TexasTribune&related=TexasTribune,TribData"> <i class="icon-twitter"></i> <span>Tweet</span> </a> </li> <li class="facebook"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150624234545/http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/22/alternative-construction-contracts-come-under-fire/"> <i class="icon-facebook"></i> <span>Recommend</span> </a> </li> </ul> </aside> <div class="content"> <p class="western">In 2011, with the population booming and the state budget buckling under pressure, Texas lawmakers decided to let state agencies experiment with a new approach they hoped would be quicker and cheaper at building expensive, complex projects.<span style="text-decoration: line-through;"><br/></span></p> <p class="western">The standard course for building roads, offices and such was to first take bids for a designer, then solicit bids for a builder after the design was complete. Under the new approach — called design-build — the two steps were joined. By hiring one or two companies to simultaneously design and build a project, chances to save time and money would theoretically emerge.  </p> <p class="western">But four ...</p> <p><a id="content_more" href="/web/20150624234545/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/22/alternative-construction-contracts-come-under-fire/" class="more" title="Read full story">Full Story</a></p> </div> </article> <div id="comment_policy"> <header class="smallcaps"> <h1>Comment Policy</h1> </header> <p> The Texas Tribune is pleased to provide the opportunity for you to share your observations about this story. We encourage lively debate on the issues of the day, but we ask that you refrain from using profanity or other offensive speech, engaging in personal attacks or name-calling, posting advertising, or wandering away from the topic at hand. To comment, you must be a registered user of the Tribune, and your user name will be displayed. Thanks for taking time to offer your thoughts. </p> <p class="anonymous_message"> <strong>You must be logged in to leave a comment.</strong> <a href="/web/20150624234545/http://www.texastribune.org/accounts/login/?next=">Login</a> <script> (function(){ var allScripts = document.getElementsByTagName('script'), currentScript = allScripts[allScripts.length - 1], node = currentScript; while (node = node.previousSibling) { if (node.nodeName == "A"){ node.href += document.location.pathname; break; } }; })(); </script> | <a href="/web/20150624234545/http://www.texastribune.org/accounts/register/">Sign-Up</a> </p> </div> <section id="comments_container" class="sidebar_block"> <header> <h1>Comments (4)</h1> </header> <ul class="comments"> <li> <div class="comment_author_image"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150624234545/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000617251428"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150624234545im_/http://graph.facebook.com/100000617251428/picture?type=square"/> </a> </div> <div class="comment_body"> <div class="comment_time"> May 22 @ 9 a.m. </div> <p class="byline"> <span class="author"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150624234545/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000617251428">Carolyn Qualls</a> </span> via <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150624234545/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153238248205837">Texas Tribune on Facebook</a> </p> <p class="comment">poor idea didn't work!</p> <ul class="actions clearfix"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150624234545/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153238248205837"><span>+</span> Reply</a></li> </ul> </div> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </li> <li> <div class="comment_author_image"> </div> <div class="comment_body"> <div class="comment_time"> May 22 @ 12:54 p.m. </div> <p class="byline"> <span class="author"> Jim Vance </span> </p> <p class="comment">For the design-build method to really be a viable approach in transportation, the intrinsic conceptual basis for the final design must have already attained full public review and endorsement and gained the necessary environmental clearances -- the implicit intent by many (including TPPF) to minimize 'delay' in the construction process by promoting greater use of design-build contracts is to compress and shortchange the advance public involvement and environmental analysis/clearance stages through the outsourcing of the detailed preliminary design stages with propaganda-oriented emphasis on "crisis-response" need for rapidity to compress those public involvement/environmental review phases in order to more quickly initiate and complete construction.<br/><br/>In other words, to fulfill that basic public agreement/acceptance obligation the DB approach must absolutely rely upon honest brokerage, a condition that simply does not exist with either TxDOT or the selected contractors the institution chooses.</p> </div> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </li> <li> <div class="comment_author_image"> </div> <div class="comment_body"> <div class="comment_time"> May 22 @ 1:08 p.m. </div> <p class="byline"> <span class="author"> Carol Warkoczewski </span> </p> <p class="comment">In the public sector, Design-Build (DB), as well as other "alternative project delivery" methods such as Competitive Sealed Proposals (CSP) and Construction-Manager-at-Risk (CMR or CMAR)), have been used very successfully over the past several years by municipalities, schools, universities, hospitals, etc. Each project delivery method has its pros and cons, and so the decision on which project delivery method to use should be carefully considered, based on: the experience level of the facility Owner and their ability to provide oversight, the complexity of the project, project size and scope/value, and schedule. In my experience in selecting the contractor, a process that considers past experience, a company culture of excellent communications and collaboration, and the ability to effectively identify and address problems, provides the facility Owner with the best value and most predictability of outcomes.</p> </div> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </li> <li> <div class="comment_author_image"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150624234545/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000829316784"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150624234545im_/http://graph.facebook.com/100000829316784/picture?type=square"/> </a> </div> <div class="comment_body"> <div class="comment_time"> May 22 @ 2:21 p.m. </div> <p class="byline"> <span class="author"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150624234545/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000829316784">Neil Moyer</a> </span> via <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150624234545/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153238248205837">Texas Tribune on Facebook</a> </p> <p class="comment">just another way to waste taxpayers' $$$$.....leading to downfall of TX government....as intended by GOP....</p> <ul class="actions clearfix"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150624234545/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153238248205837"><span>+</span> Reply</a></li> </ul> </div> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </li> </ul> </section> </div> <div class=" rail cell w-4 hide-for-medium-down"> <section class="trib_newsletter"> <form action="https://web.archive.org/web/20150624234545/http://texastribune.us3.list-manage2.com/subscribe/post?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=68501b81bf" method="post" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" class="validate" target="_blank" novalidate> <header> <h2>Sign Up for The Brief</h2> </header> <p>Our daily news summary</p> <div 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