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19
Status Reports
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
It was reported that the progress of the construction of the Hirshhorn Museum which is under a construction contract with the Piracci Construction Co. and is administered through the Public Buildings Service of the General Services Administration has been lagging badly toward completion. On February 27, 1970, a construction contract was awarded, calling for a completion date in September 1972. In a letter dated November 1, 1971, the Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service informed us that the estimated completion date was then December 1972. Now, only five months later, we have received a letter from the Acting Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service informing us that the completion date has been postponed another four months, to April 30, 1973. If there are no further postponements, this will mean that construction of the museum and sculpture garden will have required three years and one month from the day work was begun -- a delay of approximately eight months beyond the original, contractual completion date.
In considering this unbelievably dismal performance on the construction progress which should be 82% completed and currently is only 43% completed, we have to consider also the agreement with Mr. Hirshhorn which stipulates that acquisition of the collection is contingent upon completion of the museum and sculpture garden. The agreed upon date presently is December 31, 1972, and we are negotiating with Mr. Hirshhorn for an April or June 30, 1973, date.
In explaining the need for the extension to Mr. Hirshhorn there was included a chronology (which follows) showing since 1965 seven years of successful accomplishment in overcoming numerous hurdles including the original negotiation through the White House for the agreement; the authorization