What does it mean to re-sod the National Mall?

[Lochloosa]

1. The money is appropriated.
2. A buyer in purchasing contracts with an architetual/engineering firm to design the project.
3. The project is let out to bid.
4. Contractors obtain the plans and specs and prepare their bids.
5. BID DAY. Contractors are negotiating with their subcontractors trying to obtain that last miniute edge.
6. The buyer sends out a notice of intent to award the contract lowest repsonsible bidder.
7. The contract is sent to the winning contractor.
8. The Buyer turns the project over to the owners project manager.
9. The project manager issues a notice for a precontruction meeting.
10. The contractor is negiotiating and signing contracts with his subcontractors.
11. The day of the precontruction meeting the Owners project manager, the contractor and all of his subs arrive to discuss the project.
12. The project manager hands the contractor a notice to proceed at this time putting the contractor on the clock.
13. The project manager gives the owners project manager the submittals prepared by his subcontractor.
14. The project begins.
14a. Forgot to call the surveyors in.
15. If it's like resodding projects that I have been involved in the contractor will have most likely strip about one to two feet of the ground over the entire mall, filling hundreds of dump trucks that will have to take the strippings to a recycling center or landfill.
16. Stripping is complete. Time for those damn surveyors again.
17. The repair and replacement of the damaged or new concrete walkways is underway.
18. The rotozone is brought in and stredding it has begun. The specs call for a 12 inch layer of rotozone for this project. (rotozone is really good dirt mixed with fertilizers to give you a nice lawn)
19. Rotozone is in. Time for the sodding to take place. Right after those pesky surveyors.
20. Sodding begins.

ON and ON and ON.

What does this mean.

JOBS.

[thrift_store_angel]

1. Thank you.

I do believe you are the first person I have seen point this out. I was wondering if everyone else thought that we were going to be paying for robots to sprinkle seeds on the mall.

[Lochloosa]

5. I have seen several post that say "There are no jobs for me. Just contruction jobs"

Well guess what. Some one has to write the insurance policies. Someone has to write the bond. Someone has to maintain the records. (My wifes job. Project Administrator).
ON AND ON AND ON.

[emulatorloo]

Either the Repubs are DUMB or DISINGENOUS

Perhaps they are too stupid to understand that this means work, and work means jobs.

I have seen similar complaints about investment in green technology. Very very short-sighted.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

30. Does it have to be either/or?

I think it's both, frankly.

[Lucinda]

2. I dont think so.

Its a project. A one time gig.
What you have at the end is some new grass and a few people got paid for a short period of time.
It's not repairing bridges, or building roads, or creating new industry. Whats the long term benefit vs the cost?

Is this really the best option right now?

[greguganus]

4. Hey! You're forgetting the guy that has a job mowing it once a week during growing season! n/t

[Lucinda]

7. LOL. True.

[AZCat]

6. All that sort of work is composed of one time gigs.

What do you think new construction is? It's just a series of one time gigs. Adding one more might enable an employer (or more than one) to stay in business long enough to ride out the poor economy.

[Lucinda]

8. Is it the best we can do right now though? Something cosmetic?

I'm a huge fan of CCC type projects. I just don't think that sod is really the best option right now. YMMV.

[AZCat]

11. Meh. I'm not big on it either.

But if the Mall turf is in poor shape, might as well pay for it to be redone now when the money might make more of a difference.

[Lochloosa]

10. A 200 million dollar project. The mall is over 700 acres.

Were not talking about your front lawn. My guess is it would take at least 18 to 24 months to complete.

A "few" people. Most likely a "few" hundred.

And yes it is the best option. Companies will make a profit off of this project. Allowing them to purchase more equipment, maybe call back a few of those employees they had to lay off.

JOBS!

[AZCat]

13. $60/sqft? Did I do that right?

Is that typical for turf replacements, or is this one more expensive than usual?

[Lochloosa]

14. My guess is that's about right. There is a lot more than just the grass involved.

New underdrainage.
New Irrigation.
New and repair/replacement of concrete walkways.
Maybe some gazebos?
BATHROOMS!

ON AND ON AND ON.

JOBS!

[AZCat]

15. I figured.

Once you said a couple of feet deep would be removed, I knew they would be replacing a whole lot more than just the turf. I was just trying to get a feel for the cost. $60/sqft really isn't that much.

[Lochloosa]

16. It cost more to build a house.

[AZCat]

18. Exactly.

And commercial construction is way more per square foot.

[Lucinda]

17. 200 million for something that's not necessary isn't ok with me.

We're just going to have to disagree on what "best option" means in this case.

[atreides1]

20. Do you have any idea...

...how long it would take to resod the National Mall?

About as long as it would take to repair a bridge.

[Lucinda]

21. Maybe...but at the end you'd have a repaired bridge.

And that's the difference.

[MadHound]

27. Umm, repairing a bridge or building a road is in essence also a one time gig

A contract to repair a bridge is bid out, the contractor is hired, repairs the bridge and goes on:shrug:

In both cases extra people are hired for the duration, they do a job, get paid and that money is circulated back into the economy. For every dollar paid for one of these projects, you've got at least two dollars, probably more in stimulus value. Guys get their sodding paycheck, cash it, go get breakfast, paying for it with their wages. The nice tip they leave with the waitress allows her to go out and catch a movie, with that extra big tub of popcorn. Movie concessions are doing well enough that they hire an extra person, a college student, who is now getting paid and can now afford to have a night out once in a while. And around and around it goes. It's all a stimulus, it all creates jobs, be it a resodding job or bridge construction. The only difference is in the length of time it takes. Sodding can take upwards of a year, while some road construction can take a decade. But even if it's only for a year, it's just that much more stimulus that we inject into our economy.

Oh, other benefits, that kid just out of high school who was hired as part of the resodding deal. Sure, he's only employed for a year, but now he's got some experience on his resume that makes it easier for him to get another landscaping job.

And that new freshly sodded Mall? Well it helps attract more tourists to D.C., which means more money for the economy, both local and national. It also means that there's an increase in water purchase, fertilizer purchase, mowing equipment and gas, etc. etc.

Best option, perhaps not, but it is a darn good one. I'd much rather see that money spent on the National Mall than going into a tax cut:shrug:

[globalvillage]

3. Just like all the jobs they stripped out

at aquariums, zoos, highway beautification projects, etc.

Everything they stripped out was employment that won't happen. Everything the Republicans complained about was potential jobs that won't be had.

[FailureToCommunicate]

9. Wait, are you saying this is a JOBS bill? The Dems call it a "stimulus" bill? May

Maybe Reid and Pelosi should pick better names for bills so folks get what they're about.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

12. I'll do it and give a 10% discount.

[Lochloosa]

19. You just won the bid!

Give 'em hell.

[Historic NY]

22. I think hydro-seeding would be better....

in the long run for disturbed ground, large areas, erosion control. Its cheaper and can be done quickly. The mulch is mixed with proper fertilizers, etc. to aid germination. Sod required specialized care to make sure it catches.

[NYC_SKP]

23. And it means a beautiful Mall! And a lot of grumbling Republicans.

Why do Republicans hate America?

:shrug:

.

[rufus dog]

24. When I went to DC in 2005

I was shocked at the condition of the Mall. There were some areas that were severely neglected and embarrassing. To me it seemed like a great idea to spend the money, put hundreds of contractors to work. Also jobs would be created for accounts payable, procurement, project managers, etc.

[terisan]

25. It means tons of chemicals? nt

[Aloha Spirit]

26. This needs to get sent to some of those dolts on Capitol hill.

[Cha]

28. Kick for more info on

the stimulus package. Too bad it's too late to Rec'd it.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

29. It also means not having a giant dust bowl on the National Mall.

Which it frequently becomes currently every summer.

But yeah, more to the point, it means a lot of jobs.