Dispute between Omaha City Council and construction company heats up before final vote

Dispute between Omaha City Council and construction company heats up before final vote Dispute between Omaha City Council and construction company heats up before final vote QUANECIA THERE’S A BATTLE BETWEEN THE OMAHA CITY COUNCIL AND HAWKINS CONSTRUCTION, AND IT CENTERS AROUND A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT. THE DEAL TO EXPAND THE PAPILLION CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS A FEW YEARS AGO. IT COMES WITH A $411 MILLION PRICE TAG. HOWEVER, THE ORIGINAL BUDGET WAS 350 MILLION. THE PRESIDENT OF HAWKINS CONSTRUCTION SAYS THE CURRENT CONTRACT IS FAR FROM INDUSTRY STANDARD. THAT LEVEL OF COST INCREASE IS NOT EXPLAINABLE BY INFLATION. THE ONLY EXPLANATION FOR THAT INCREASE IS THE FAILURE IN PROCESS AND THE CITY’S WILLINGNES Updated: 6:36 PM CST Mar 4, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ By Matt Stein Advertisement Dispute between Omaha City Council and construction company heats up before final vote Updated: 6:36 PM CST Mar 4, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ By Matt Stein The Omaha City Council and Hawkins Construction Company are at odds over a multi-billion-dollar contract.The city council awarded the deal to expand the Papillion Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility to Hawkins Construction a few years ago.The original deal put the price tag of the construction project at $350 million. Now, the price tag, according to Hawkins, is at $411 million. "That level of cost increase is not explainable by basic inflation. The only explanation for that increase is the...