This Land is Your Land, This Land is Expensive

Anyone who has ever had a new home built, or for that matter, just had repairs done, knows that prices are subject to change. And when you're building a new stadium you can imagine how those prices will balloon. Not just the price of the stadium, but the cost of replacing the land you took to build your new palace.

Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe revealed yesterday that the cost of replacing the parks lost for the new stadium, will be $190 million. That is 48% higher than what the city had anticipated. How could costs go that much over the estimate?

"It's a very complicated project," confessed Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe during a City Council hearing.

Oh that explains it. Some of George Bush's "it's hard work" logic.

"A lot of the site conditions were a lot more challenging than we knew at the time we made those estimates," said Deputy Commissioner Liam Kavanagh.

In one waterfront spot, for instance, park officials unearthed an underground oil tank that had to be drained and removed, Benepe said.

Translation - the city didn't do a thorough job. But if you think those costs are high, wait until you see the price for tickets at the new stadium. Those $12 bleacher seats? $24. Better start saving now.

Source : NY Daily News