Kennedy Center

This report discusses a $27.4 million appropriation for repairs and alterations at the Kennedy Center--mechanical, structural, and handicapped-access projects, as well as garage repairs--included in the fiscal years 1991 and 1992 appropriation acts. During the next few years, the Center--despite limited staff--plans to undertake several large capital projects. It lacks an in-house federal contracting officer, architects, engineers, or other professionals to handle capital projects. As a result, the Kennedy Center has contracted for these services when necessary. During fiscal year 1992, Congress considered, but did not pass, legislation providing the Center with permanent authority for managing these projects. GAO doubts whether the Center, at present, has enough capability to effectively manage a capital improvement effort of the scope now being considered. Given enough time and funding, however, the Center should be able to acquire that capability.

GAO found that: (1) of the $44.1 million appropriated to NPS for operating and maintaining the Center's nonperforming arts functions, NPS obligated $27.7 million for capital repairs and alterations; (2) appropriation adjustments decreased the capital repair and alteration total by $300,000, of which about $15.5 million was targeted for mechanical, structural, and handicapped access projects and $11.9 million for garage repairs; (3) of the $15.5 million in mechanical, structural, and handicapped project funds, NPS obligated $2.8 million for design work, reprogrammed $9.7 million to the garage repair contract, and reserved $3 million for future accessibility modification and mechanical and electrical improvement contracts; (4) of the $21.6 million budgeted for the garage project, NPS obligated $1.5 million for design work and reserved the remaining $20.1 million for the contract award; (5) the Center had limited staff capability for administering and managing a major capital improvement program; and (6) the Center contracted on an ad hoc basis, since there was a lack of in-house federal contracting officers, architects, or engineers.