If you have ever served in the military of the United States, you are undoubtedly familiar with the acronym SNAFU, and you probably know both the polite and not so polite phrases those initials stand for. It's difficult to describe this situation involving stimulus funding in any other manner. There is a beautiful Beaux Arts federal office building standing vacant at 50 United Nations Plaza in San Francisco in what is known as the Civic Center area of the city. Opened in 1936, this historic structure was closed and shuttered in 2007 when a new San Francisco federal office building, designed by Morphosis Architects of Santa Monica California, opened. The closed building was used as a substitute interior set for San Francisco's City Hall during the filming of the movie "Milk," and the General Services Administration had considered a proposal to redevelop the building for apartments, but decided to leave it vacant instead.
With passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act earlier this year, GSA budgeted $121 million for renovation of 50 UN Plaza, and advertised for bids from architects to design the renovation project. Yesterday the GSA announced that it has chosen an architecture team led by Foster + Partners of London, England over San Francisco based architecture firms Skidmore Owings & Merrill, William McDonough/ Hornberger + Worstell, and Architectural Resources Group/HKS as designer for the project.
Under the Brooks Act, GSA is free to select an architect on criteria other than cost of services for projects like this built with federal money. Never mind the fact that Foster + Partners is a winner of the coveted Pritzker Prize for architecture. Weren't the jobs created by stimulus projects supposed to be created in the United States? The renovation of this historic building will involve modernization of its utilities, installation of new washrooms, and opening up of interior working spaces while preserving the historic facade, stairwells and corridors. No local architect firms are up to the task? What gives?
With passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act earlier this year, GSA budgeted $121 million for renovation of 50 UN Plaza, and advertised for bids from architects to design the renovation project. Yesterday the GSA announced that it has chosen an architecture team led by Foster + Partners of London, England over San Francisco based architecture firms Skidmore Owings & Merrill, William McDonough/ Hornberger + Worstell, and Architectural Resources Group/HKS as designer for the project.
Under the Brooks Act, GSA is free to select an architect on criteria other than cost of services for projects like this built with federal money. Never mind the fact that Foster + Partners is a winner of the coveted Pritzker Prize for architecture. Weren't the jobs created by stimulus projects supposed to be created in the United States? The renovation of this historic building will involve modernization of its utilities, installation of new washrooms, and opening up of interior working spaces while preserving the historic facade, stairwells and corridors. No local architect firms are up to the task? What gives?
