Oakland City Auditor Courtney Ruby released a performance audit of the Fox Theater Renovation Project, which documented the expansion from a $33 million project to approximately $91 million.
According to the audit, the final renovation project costs increased 172 percent from the initial $33 million budget. A number of factors led to this dramatic increase, including a significant expansion of the project’s scope, failure to conduct a comprehensive financial feasibility study, a project management structure that lacked independence, insufficient legislative oversight, and poor contract administration.