Another change order for already overdue San Jacinto project

Another setback for San Jacinto Plaza.

The work was originally supposed to be done last November. It was eventually pushed back to March.Now, the City is not committing to a completion date.

It looks like the contractor is not to blame for the latest snafu. City Council approved yet another change to the over all plan.

This latest change brings the total number of modifications to the original San Jacinto Plaza plan to more than two dozen since work on the project started 18 months ago.

“The placita is for those of us that are native El Pasoans, who have lived here, that has always been the center of the City, the square,” City Rep. Lily Limon said. “It is so frustrating to see this project continue and we just don’t come to resolution.”

Now seven months overdue, requests for changes continue to come in.

“With the new goal that we have to improve the visual image of el paso, many members of council believe that these large gigantic electrical boxes and transformers didn’t really give a good aspect of appearance to the plaza,” said Javier Reyes, who works for the City of El Paso’s engineering division. “So the direction was given to go ahead and move them underground. They’re big boxes and the work that’s required also is extensive.”

The latest change will cost $110,000. The contractor, Basic IDIQ, is being fined a thousand dollars, starting May 4th, for every day until the project is complete. However, the contractor will get extra time to complete this latest change order.

“We will need to give them about 15 to 17 days additional time to actually complete the project,” Reyes said.

Members of Council are concerned about the situation.

“At the very end, when he’s completed, they’ll have to come to a reconciliation and determine how much do you owe us,” City Rep. Emma Acosta said. “It hasn’t been completed on time, but hopefully soon.”

“It is really important that we know, why are we issuing out change orders, what is the truth, versus the emotion,” Limon added. “I certainly would like to see it completed, like yesterday.”

There’s still no estimate of a final completion date. Although the initial construction budget has been exceeded, the City says the project remains about a million under its total project budget of six million, including marketing and other expenses.