Laurels & lances: Access and delays
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Laurel: To unprecedented access. When it comes to amazing art, people have traditionally had two options. Go to a museum to see what is available in the area or travel to another place to see the treasures offered in other cities.
But Southwestern Pennsylvania has had other options provided thanks to new presentations of masterful works in accessible ways.
Immersive exhibits of Vincent Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo works already have come to Pittsburgh, but starting Friday, visitors to Ross Park Mall will be able to buy a ticket to one of the most famous sacred art exhibitions in the world — the Sistine Chapel.
Most Pennsylvanians will never be able to afford to go to Vatican City to see Michelangelo’s breathtaking frescoes adorning the papal worship space. However, the traveling exhibit of large, brightly lit photography will bring the ceiling-high art down to eye level.
Is it the same? Undoubtedly not. But is it a fantastic opportunity to see masterpieces in an up-close venue? Absolutely.
Lance: To a predictable problem. Has there ever been a public construction project that doesn’t encounter delays?
Maybe, but it’s a lot easier to name the ones that take longer than expected because it happens much more frequently.
The latest? The $7 million rebuild of the Westmoreland County Courthouse parking garage. Public Works Director Greg McCloskey says the project has hit a series of setbacks that are substantially changing the end date.
The project was slated for completion by the end of October. That’s 11 days away and absolutely not happening. The date was subsequently kicked to late November or perhaps early December. Yeah, that’s not happening either. The newest estimate is February.
The problem is actually a lot of problems that have been uncovered as the process played out as well as water infiltration that prompted more foundation work.
Perhaps the best thing you can say about the delays is that the price has somehow not changed despite the project running four months over the original six-month timeline.
“It’s still on budget, and we have a guarantee that there is a maximum price of $7 million,” McCloskey said.