Parking garage builders say city owes thousands on contract
The builders of a parking garage in downtown Columbia say they are still waiting for hundreds of thousands of dollars for their work.
Killian Construction, based in Springfield, worked for the city in 2012 and 2013 to build the Short Street Parking Garage, while they also built the Broadway Hotel nearby. The five-story garage’s opening was delayed several times as the project neared its end in the fall of 2013, and finally opened in December. The city paid for the project through its parking utility fund.
Killian filed a lawsuit Thursday, claiming over the course of the project, the city and company agreed to 25 change orders, as well as construction change directive that cost them $102,272 to complete. The suit said Killian had only received $9.1 million for their work, but still needed $700,534.34 as promised by contract.
The lawsuit also claims the concrete Killian had to use for the project caused “significant concrete failures and blowouts” during construction. Killian includes Walker Parking Consultants and Central Concrete Company of Jefferson City in its filing, saying the two recommended and provided a concrete mix unsuitable for the project, suffering “multiple and significant failures and blowouts upon tensioning, sending concrete and debris flying, creating a hazardous environment, a risk of physical injury, and causing property damage.” Killian, the builders of the Fifth Street Parking Garage in downtown Columbia, said the city did not allow them to use the same concrete from their earlier project, and instead required them to use the other mix.
The lawsuit, filed by Springfield attorney Wade Early, said Killian suffered $1.6 million in damages from the concrete issues. Deputy City Manager Tony St. Romaine said late Friday he would look into finding change orders and the construction change directive for ABC 17 News, but did not comment on the lawsuit.
Early also said he would not comment on the pending lawsuit due to his law firm’s policy.
