Are we on budget? Are we on track? Are we on time?

These are the questions that Travis Dredd, Deputy CEO of Inside the Hall Operations, asks the construction management team each morning at their daily 8 a.m. meeting inside the Pepsi Center. As the first week of construction comes to a close, Travis and the Denver-based construction management team can proudly answer: yes, yes, and yes!

Just 7 days after the keys of the Pepsi Center were handed over to the DNCC, remarkable alterations have already been made as the arena undergoes a complete transformation to host the Convention.

Embarking on a tour of the venue this morning with some local media -- hardhats on -- we hit several key areas of the Pepsi Center to see what changes have been made.  Our first stop was in the Pepsi Center bowl, where Director of Technology Brook Colangelo discussed the progress of this year’s technology preparations, noting that the DNCC is several weeks ahead of schedule compared to the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

In the arena, current construction activities include the removal of approximately 5,000 seats to make room for the stage, podium and television cameras. To ensure that wireless phone communications will work seamlessly during the Convention, 70 AT&T employees were on hand with over 300 devices to test the 3G network. Their tests will help prepare the network for Convention-goers who are expected to transmit real-time information using phone calls, text messages, and mobile Web surfing.

Next we arrived at the data center, often described as the “nerve-center” of the Convention communication network.  Last week, this was a storage area for sporting equipment. Here are some server room numbers to digest -- 20 servers will be housed here, 3,300 miles of fiber optics are in place, and 1000 telephone lines will support the 1500 people working in and around the Pepsi Center.

We took a quick detour in a hallway to learn about the cabling stanchions lining the entire Service Level. Stanchions are metal racks that will carry 70 miles of power, data, video, and audio cables to expand the technology infrastructure for the Convention’s staff, delegates and the media. But don’t worry about the massive amount of wires -- the DNCC plans to recycle and reuse all of the cabling used during the Convention.

Even as an Islanders fan, I was still excited to explore the Colorado Avalanche locker room, the future site of the speech rehearsal area.  To my surprise the hockey team’s locker room had already been completely transformed – benches and furniture were removed, protective coverings have been placed over the cabinets and floors, and drywall was in place to help recreate the stage and podium for rehearsal purposes.

And lastly, we made our way outside to take a look at a media pavilion currently being built in one of the many parking lots. At 62,500 square feet, pavilion #2 is a massive structure that will become a second home for many members of the media during the Convention.

Precision Industrial Contractors, a Colorado-based unionized company has already constructed the metal frame of the pavilion and is also beginning the roofing work.

To track the construction progress on your own, take a look at this photo album from week one at the Pepsi Center: