Tell us you didn’t see this coming.
The translucent roof which is to be a space-age iconic feature of the Raiders’ new stadium in Las Vegas is behind schedule, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
“Representatives of the Raiders say that despite the delay, the stadium is still on track to open July 31 with the first event there on Aug. 16. However, an independent monitor has expressed concern about the stadium being completed by that date.”
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Keep in mind that representatives of the Raiders — OK, Joe Bugel — said that the team would win multiple Super Bowls in their second go-round in the Oakland Coliseum. An independent monitor — OK, the NFL schedule — concluded otherwise.
More solid reporting by the Review-Journal: “The independent monitor working for the authority board raised concerns about the lifting of the cable net system supporting the lightweight EFTE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) roof in a report completed in early December. Because of the delay in the overall building enclosure, there is the possibility of weather damage as more finish work is put in place. Our assessment is that the TCO (temporary certificate of occupancy) date may be in jeopardy if weather (rain) causes damage to interior finishes. Of the many possible situations and potential delays that a project of this size and complexity can experience, the cable-net delay is one that attracts attention because of its distinctiveness.”
The CEO of the subsidiary building the stadium told the Review-Journal, “The construction remains on target for substantial completion on July 31, 2020.”
And anyway, if construction of the roof goes into overtime, the Raiders can simply distribute sliver, black and translucent umbrellas to fans.
Talk about distinctive.
Interestingly enough, when the Raiders returned to Oakland and remade the Coliseum into a house for football, workers were still trying to drag the project over the the finish line as Raiders and Seahawks were warming up for the first event in the retrofitted facility.
One critic’s reaction — OK, it was me — that August evening in 1996:
“The Coliseum renovation may be done, but it’s not entirely finished. I encountered a construction worker who was carrying a ladder back down the ramp, picking up stray nuts and bolts as he went. One men’s restroom in the new upper deck (i.e. Mount Davis) had a row of 20 sparkling urinals, but an unfinished cement floor. When I reached the foot of the upper deck I noticed that most of the handrails were as unpainted as the day they were forged. I also noticed a need for bottled oxygen.”
To be fair, the CEO told the Review-Journalthat some aspects of the construction are ahead of schedule. The project’s financing pencils out, and PSL sales are ahead of schedule.
