Design it first and then cost it out

Or maybe the title should be “borne back ceaselessly into the past”.

News reaches us that the Boston Convention Center Authority is looking to double its size, but ” they don’t know how much the project would cost or how it would be paid for” (from SHNS, sub req.) I’m going to go out on a limb and say that now is not a great time to be seeking additional funding, particularly with the inference of higher taxes.

The planning approach reminds me of the Governor’s quote about his Readiness Project/education reform package:

“We’re building a house,” he said. “You design it first and then cost it out.”

The task of figuring out the details will reportedly fall to a 25 member task force of the great and good. Not sure who is part of that group, since the Convention Center Authority’s has no info (as of 2:25 PM this afternoon) and press releases were last updated 363 days ago. (Mac Daniel, call your office!)

We’ve had some questions about the Convention Center in the past (here, here, and here, just to start) And we are skeptical of this plan, such as it is.

And there will be some who say — “but they just started the process”. Actually, the RFP for expansion planning was issued in July 2007.