March 12 was previously the target date for renovations to be complete, which include correcting heating and air problems and re-doing the center's entrance. But that deadline was missed. Mike Fina, spokesperson for the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, on Tuesday blamed the delay on the complexity of the heat and air system.
The center's main building was closed more than two years ago after air conditioning and heating problems caused the tourism department to bring in a portable building adjacent to the center to house their employees and provide a place for motorists to stop for information about the area.
The center's heating and cooling system is a geothermal unit. With this type of system wells are dug into the ground and the cooler water underground is used to operate the system.
Fina said in the 10 years since the building was built, the technology has changed and they are using that new technology to make sure the system is correct.
"It's never really worked correctly," Fina said of the building's system.
With the new technology, Fina said he did not anticipate any problems when the center's renovation is complete.
"It's just taking a while to get the project complete," he said.
Currently there is no concrete date for the center's main building to reopen. When asked if the center would re-open by the summer travel season, Fina said that it's "supposed" to be.
"We're right at the end of this project," Fina said. "We've just had contractor delays through the whole process. We're every bit as frustrated."
The delays in the project seem to have started from the very beginning.
Fina explained that the tourism commission originally put a bid out to scrap the geothermal unit and put in a traditional heat and air system. But the tourism commission nixed that idea and wanted to explore salvaging the geothermal unit- something, Fina said, they thought would be best for the environment and the commission. Experts believe geothermal units save more money and are more energy efficient.
Those changes to the original plans put the project behind even further, which Fina said led to more discussions about how to keep the unit and improve on it
"This project has really put Murphy's Law to the test," Fina said. In Murphy's Law, anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
"It's very frustrating," Fina said. "We're ready to get this thing open."
K&M Shillingford Inc. of Tulsa is the lead contractor in the project, with a $248,900 contract. The contract went into effect Sept. 11, 2006, and was expected to roughly be a six-month project, Fina said, pointing out that the contractor is not that far behind.
A spokesperson for the company said Thursday that starting the project was delayed because they didn't get the needed equipment, which was specified by the engineer and had to be specially ordered, until late November. They were not able to start doing anything on the center until the beginning of December, the spokesperson said.
"We are working closely with them," Fina said. "Our attitude is, 'Let's get it done.'"
Fina explained that the state contract procedure is that the contractor is supposed to file for an extension if running late on a project. In this case, the contractor has yet to do that.
"Until they do that and it's approved, they're not going to get paid," Fina said.
But Fina pointed out that the department is not withholding funds and understands that with construction, delays are expected, although they wished it wouldn't have happened with this project.
When asked whether there were liquidating damages in the contract, Fina wouldn't give a yes or no answer. Liquidating damages are fees that the contractor pays per day that the contractor goes over the contract deadline.
"We don't anticipate that being an issue," Fina said.
As soon as the work is done, Fina said that the re-opening would be done quickly. He said they have already contracted movers and a cleaning crew to go into the building as soon as the work is finished.
Despite the delays, the center has managed to stay open in the portable building throughout the remodel.
"We never missed a day of service," Fina said.
He said the center employees have stayed with them and worked with them.
"We owe them a big debt of gratitude," he said.
