CONSTRUCTION HEADACHES: RAVENS NEST FACING BUDGET OVERRUNS

          The Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) "now estimates"
     that the bill for structural concrete at the Ravens' new
     stadium "will come in at $43 million, well in excess of the
     $27 million envisioned," according to Jon Morgan of the
     Baltimore SUN.  MD-based Clark Construction Group, the
     contractor which won the "fast-track bid" in '96, will
     receive "[m]ost of that money."  When winning the bid, Clark
     had "promised to negotiate" a "guaranteed maximum price;"
     however the state and Clark "never reached agreement" on
     such a price, and costs "quickly soared -- accounting for
     most" of the project's $20M in overruns.  Clark's contract
     "was the biggest on the project."  MSA officials said it
     "will be able to stay within" the $220M budget outlined in
     the fall.  MSA Exec Dir Bruce Hoffman: "I think we're past
     the point of any surprises" (Baltimore SUN, 3/9).