A Primer for the Construction of Public Buildings

Article Date: May, 2009

Building a Solid Future: A Primer for the Construction of Public Buildings, Journal of Illinois Institute for Local Government Law.

By DEAN M. FRIEDERS, Partner, Mickey, Wilson, Weiler, Renzi & Andersson, P.C.

One of the issues which public agencies face on a regular basis is the construction of public
buildings. After the tentative decision to proceed with a construction project is made, a series of important decisions follow. Often, the fate of a construction project will be determined before the first design is prepared; the selection and hiring of a team of consultants to work on the construction project, and the relationship built between those consultants and the public agency, determine whether a project will be a successful collaboration that comes in on time and on budget, or whether a building project plants the seeds for years of dispute and litigation.

This article provides a basic overview of some of the different consultant relationships that
can be built to ensure a successful construction project. It also provides a brief overview of
possible responses to crises that may arise during the course of a construction project, and some innovative ideas for controlling cost, timeframes and liability issues arising out of the course of a building project.

One of the most critical decisions in any construction project occurs before the first drawing is ever prepared... ...read the full article here (pdf format).