“It’s official: The lead builders on Apple Inc.’s iconic ‘Spaceship’ campus are leaving the project after negotiations over their continued involvement broke down,” Nathan Donato-Weinstein reports for The Silicon Valley Business Journal.
“The joint venture of DPR Construction Inc. and Skanska USA ‘will transition completely off the project in the next several weeks,’ according to an internal email sent to Skanska employees, which I reviewed this week,” Donato-Weinstein reports. “The news comes weeks after I first reported that Apple was bringing on Rudolph & Sletten to complete the interior buildout on the main ring-shaped building — a job many expected DPR/Skanska to do. At that time, DPR and Skanska were still expected to finish the main structure, or ‘core and shell.'”
“But in the end, that was not to be,” Donato-Weinstein reports. “It’s unclear who will take on DPR/Skanska’s scope of work on Apple Campus 2. One suggestion from two industry sources, which is unconfirmed, is that Holder Construction will replace the joint venture on the core and shell. Atlanta-based Holder, which has done data center work for Apple in the past, was in recent weeks brought in to oversee the central plant and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems — a huge job.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Hey, Tim, check in with the Shirk Brothers. Maybe Apple’s number will come up in the drawing tomorrow morning.
When you fire the GC, it always doubles the price of the job.
I don’t know anyone – me included – that didn’t fire their contractors. Miserable. And yes, you can safely double everything that they tell you from time to costs. It’s more of a racket than Congress or the Banks or the Stock Market…
Firing a contractor on a large commercial job is a very rare event, and always leads to bitter and protracted litigation. And later, when construction defects show up, the finger pointing as to who is responsible makes the issue of who pays for repairs far more difficult. Even if Apple had an Owner Controlled Insurance Program in place the insurers might refuse to pay for damage caused by defects under the first general contractor (the joint venture). This will likely get very messy.
You’re correct on all points. Firing a GC on big projects is almost unheard of. In most situations, it’s grin and bear till job completion, then sue.
Maybe they fired the GC because they doubled the price by not meeting deadlines and wasting materials.
They figured Apple would care if they wasted money and time on the project because Apple’s loaded with cash and wouldn’t miss it. Woo-woooo… All-aboard that gravy train.
However, DPR Construction is claimed to be a top-notch construction company.
had to look up the reference, lol!
Go Skanky Skanska! No need to trying to please a-wiper tweeker Cook and his spaceshippy ship toilet. LOL!
Hey you got a real talent there, at least that’s what we tell the kids in infant school.
Slow down and take it easy, you don’t want to over work those two braincells of yours.
I think that behavior is instinctive – no brain cells required.
Strictly speaking, instinctive behavior does rely on neurons (brain cells), just not the same collection of them that govern conscious, rational thought. That being said, instinctual behavior, very often called “unthinking” behavior, betrays our animal nature. Whenever strong emotions kick in, instinct overcomes rational thought in all but the most intrepid scholar. Hence the extreme ease with which anyone can stir up a hornet’s nest on the f***ing internet.
“When’s it going to be done?”
“Two weeks.”
all’s fine as long as Apple doesn’t assign anyone involved in the construction of BER, the dysfunctional non-airport in Berlin, Germany.
So, DPR/Skanska will be spending more time with their families?
And exploring other opportunities.
So Steve Jobs hires Foster to create a design. The design is beautiful, and inspiring. If I recall correctly… the engineering is not provided with the design, and must be provided by the contractors. A project of this nature has never been done before… Cost overruns and delays are inevitable. Apple overseers go nuts… and fire the contractors, because “something must be done…” Costs will rise regardless, and the delay will be inevitable.
Shoulda bought Apple Care +.
Best comment on this site ever!
There is so much corner cutting in construction today that it’s just becomes a miserable process to try to do effectively. There are so many bad decisions made due to budget pressure. Smart TCO alternatives are swept away as greedy contractors try to wring our every penny of profit.