stuckinamovement - "Apparently the worldly construction company will be brought on to build a large part of the complex."
Yeah, this surprised me initially, too, but when I thought about it, I realized that it does kind of make sense.
The work will definately get done faster by a team of professionals, inspection approval will be streamlined, and NDAs will cover any "unconventional" changes to the design. R&F volunteer labor has no such guarantee for any of those things.
Plus it might have been an addendum to the "no proselytizing" deal they made with the county.
sir82 - "What's even weirder is that the Soiety is apparently willing to spend actual money to meet this seemingly arbitrary deadline. They'd sooner drink worm milkshakes than spend money, when free labor is available."
Why? It ain't their money; they'll just squeeze the R&F for more donations to pay the contractors. Amounts to the same thing as free labor.
The set-in-stone deadline is interesting...
...I can't help but wonder if they want to be comfortably holed up there by the time the Conti Case appeals have reached SCOTUS. The Legal Dept. will have a clearer bead on their chances of winning, and (assuming those chances are low) the subsequent tsunami of lawsuits sure to follow after any precedent is set.
It's definately a factor in the decision to hire outside construction help.
BTW, stuckinamovement, how'd you find out about this meeting?