--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Big construction companies, making…" description: "\"“Big construction companies, making millions on underground developments such as this, had initially gone to the bother of bringing in cranes to lift m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/paul-cornell-19016_city-hall_big-construction-companies-making-millio_2480989.jpg" --- # Big construction companies, making millions on underground… ![“Big construction companies, making millions on underground developments such as this, had initially gone to the bother of bringing in cranes to lift mechanical diggers, once their work was done, out of their excavations. Then they’d realized that the cost-benefit analysis actually tipped in the…” quote by Paul Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/paul-cornell-19016_city-hall_big-construction-companies-making-millio_2480989.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/paul-cornell-19016_city-hall_big-construction-companies-making-millio_2480989.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/paul-cornell-19016_city-hall_big-construction-companies-making-millio_2480989.jpg) > ““Big construction companies, making millions on underground developments such as this, had initially gone to the bother of bringing in cranes to lift mechanical diggers, once their work was done, out of their excavations. Then they’d realized that the cost-benefit analysis actually tipped in the direction of just finding somewhere to hide the digger and leaving it entombed in a wall, the company sometimes going just a little bit beyond the planning permission they’d been given for the few days it took to do so. Ballard had slipped someone at City Hall some cash to get a look at the plans and realized that, yes, the only place the digger could have been entombed was right up against the bank. Its”” [Paul Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cornell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Companies sometimes hide costly equipment in structures to avoid detection, exploiting loopholes in planning permission. **In simple terms:** They bury machinery to cut costs. Key Takeaway Beware of shortcuts that violate regulations. Themes corruption urban planning ethics Mood cautious critical Type analysis warning When to use this quote - construction projects - municipal permits - budget overruns Key Concepts regulatory evasion cost‑saving tactics illegal concealment Questions to Reflect On - Why do firms risk illegal concealment? - What safeguards could prevent this? A Different Perspective Such actions can lead to safety hazards and legal repercussions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [What was unique about me being in City Hall during the Giuliani Administration, I was the only one who wasn't an attorney. I may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lhota/what-was-unique-about-me-being-in-city-hall-during-the-giuliani/) [Joe Lhota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lhota/) > [“In this city, the victors had delusions of grandeur. It was visual. Across the street from the hotel stood City Hall, sporting an oversized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-maass/in-this-city-the-victors-had-delusions-of-grandeur-it-was-visual/) Peter Maass > [“But there’s a reason. There’s a reason. 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