Johnsen: project team is ready for the 'big game'

Journal staff

Ken Johnsen, executive director of the Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District, could not be more upbeat about the prospects for a successful completion of the project.

In a recent interview, he fairly bubbled with confidence in general contractor and construction manager Hunt/Kiewit, and had nothing but superlatives for architect NBBJ, engineer Skilling Ward Magnusson Barkshire, and Ederer, the Seattle company that's building the roof-moving mechanism for the stadium.

He did acknowledge, however, that delays, overruns and change orders do happen, and that they could happen on this job.

"Any time, on a project of this size, managing cost is always an issue," he said. "We have our arms around what the cost is. We've had Hunt/Kiewit involved for almost a year, the architect as well is a very good firm, and we're confident we can bring this in on budget."

Cost was one reason that construction of the roof was taken off the critical time path. Johnsen said it was important not to have to place a steel order before the design was final, and a rush would add unnecessary costs.

Johnsen similarly feels that major delays will not be an issue, because they often relate to excavations with unknown soil conditions. But the ballpark project involves little excavation, and the soils are well understood. Beyond that, the most important thing is to have a solid construction plan, which again is the province of Hunt/Kiewit.

"Right now, we've got a pretty good construction plan," Johnsen said. "The roof is a major challenge. But we've spent so much time on it, it won't be so much of a surprise. The most important thing is to have people who know what they are doing."

The 27-month construction schedule is likewise a challenge -- but doable, Johnsen said. The main problem is there's no margin for delay. That's why the PFD hopes for a swift state Supreme Court ruling on the ballpark opponents' legal challenge, an issue that the court will hear May 13. If the ruling is not prompt, the opening date for the ballpark may have to slip.

Even with a longer period in which to build the ballpark, Johnsen said the construction plan would remain essentially the same.

"It would be the same schedule, just a little more contingent time," he said. "There will be more double shifting now."

At the moment the PFD and its consultants are tying up some roof-design loose ends and shifting their attention to construction. Johnsen thinks all the players are as well prepared as they are ever going to be.

"We're at the point of talking about how we deliver what we've promised to do," he said.

And as that process picks up steam, Johnsen expects the contractors who are working on the project to go the extra mile to make it a high-quality building. He said many are excited to be working on the ballpark, and eager to get started.

"We will see some pride in craftmanship," he said. "It's a neat project to have worked on."

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