When a building costs $1 billion in an economy as weak as Iraq's and with labor costs as low, one has to wonder what is in the building? Either the ceilings are lined with gold leaf, the plumbing high grade copper, and the equipment state of the art, or the US is getting ripped off badly. You decide.
One billion is not very expensive these days, here are some average costs and sizes for buildings. Embassy's are not listed in our cost planning books.
Hotel 15 story 450,000 square feet $130 per square foot, 58.5 million.
Courthouse 3 story 60,000 square feet $170 per square foot, 10.2 million.
Hospital 6 story 200,000 square feet $230 per square foot, 46 million.
Jail 3 story 40,000 square feet $220 per square foot, 8.8 million
I suspect that a new embassy exceed the above square footage and square foot price and comprise of several buildings, a heating cooling plant, roads and parking lots, a service garage, and lots of expensive truck proof fencing. That is a small base of operations. So while a billion seems a little high, IMO it is not totally inconceivable.
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