Gimme, Gimme, Gimme

A Chiefs official says the change was made with a deadline in mind. (The Arrowhead renovation is supposed to be finished by December 31, 2010, according to the agreement between the team and the Jackson County Sports Authority.) Chiefs Senior Vice President of Administration Bill Newman tells me in an e-mail that the team "made a business decision to absorb the risk so we could move the project along in a timelier manner."

But from what I've gathered, J.E. Dunn has left the joint venture, and I don't think it's because the company developed a sudden aversion to football.

By leaving the joint venture, J.E. Dunn seems to have put itself in an unbeatable position: It will be able to bid on job packages it was paid to craft.

One person who works in the construction industry tells me that allowing J.E. Dunn to bid on Arrowhead work is "highly questionable."

J.E. Dunn officials did not comment on the company's intentions. Mike White, a lawyer for the sports authority, suggests that Dunn won't have an unfair advantage because contractors bidding for the same jobs would have "equal" access to the plans and specifications. He adds: "We are researching this to determine if there [is] anything in statutory or case law impinging on the issue."

Alone, these episodes don't amount to much. Taken together, they paint a picture of a company with a me-first attitude.

That's fine, I suppose. But at the same time, J.E. Dunn brags about its "commitment" to the city. Committed people don't threaten to storm off every time things don't go their way.