An Update on Alex's Proposed Space Center Building.

Hello Troops,

Some clarification is needed.  The building Alex designed in yesterday's The Troubadour post was the 'dream' Space Center.  This proposed Dream Center would cost $5,000,000 at $200 per square foot.   

Current realistic thought is a 2.5 million dollar building.  Alex has done a bit more work and sent the following information for your consideration.  As you consider all options, what are your thoughts and plans for a 12,500 square foot building (112 feet square) at 2.5 million,  in addition to the dream center of 25,000 feet square at $5,000,000?

Alex's Email on the smaller building within current budget estimates.     

Mr. Williamson

A 2.5 million dollar building at $200 per sq ft gives you 12,500 square feet, or 112 feet square.  If you'll look on the drawing of the center that I sent you yesterday, you'll see that the circular "pod" of four starships, if you make each ship 35 feet deep with 8 ft hallways (about what Central Elementary has) and a 40' diameter planetarium,  is more than 12,500 sq ft.

So I think this means one or more of the following:

1. $2.5 million at $200 a sq ft doesn't give enough space for a functional larger space center, let alone any of the other things being suggested (like a robotics center). $150 a sq ft would give another 2500 sq ft--not much, but maybe the difference.

2. Building four Voyager-sized starships may not be feasible. I think you should design the field trips so that you can absorb the numbers with a combination of 2 large Voyager-sized ships and four Odyssey-sized ships, with the Galileo as some emergency overflow. Frankly speaking, you don't have space for four large ships as it is.  

Stacy's numbers support the need for small ships because the Odyssey was shown to be more cost-efficient and bring in more actual dollars than any other ship.  I recommend building two large ships, four small, and keeping the Galileo. The four small ships add up to the two big ships that you'll be losing; small ships make more money, can be fit into nooks and crannies to maximize floor space, and add variety to patrons' experience; and the Galileo is already built and should be used anyway.

3. You may need to forget the big box building idea . With $2.5 million, the cost of acquiring a new property and building a shell, although cheap, diminishes the available funds to build the actual structure, which is already limited. On the other hand, perhaps a large building gives more flexibility, that is, you won't have to build the entire center all at once, you can add to it with time as money is available, and you may be able to build the actual center cheaper than you would otherwise (I am not entirely sure that last part is true).

4. $2.5 million simply isn't enough to accomplish the goal of providing a Space Center program able to accommodate the growing school district population and a magnet school program etc.  

Alex