Spring Break
University suing for incomplete renovations
Tyler Lamb
Issue date: 9/17/08 Section: News
A court case is being pursued against Vista Design and Construction due to an unsuccessful student housing project in Tutt and Knilans halls.
University officials intend on suing the contractor, due to the violation of the agreement they had signed to have Tutt and Knilan's halls refurbished and operational by Aug. 15.
The project was first turned over to the contractor on May 21, and encountered its first delay on June 18. Structural deficiencies were uncovered and gave warrant to an extended completion date.
On July 16, the Department of State Facilities met with Residence Life regarding the aforementioned deficiencies and amended the project completion dates.
The first and fourth floors of both halls would be completed by Aug. 14, and the second and third floors would be completed by Aug. 26.
The tile needed to kick start the project did not arrive until Aug. 12. The delay in the arrival of the tile and other work materials set back the completion date back even further.
"They weren't finished, not even close," Frank Bartlett, Interim Director of Resident Life, said. "Money doesn't matter, it gets to the point where it's about the work getting done."
On Aug. 19, it was discovered that the first and fourth floors of Tutt and Knilans halls had encountered waterproofing issues.
The bathrooms were of such poor quality items had to be pulled out. The setbacks pushed the project back a minimum of three days.
"In the first floor of Tutt and Knilans there's pooling of water and after it gets to a certain level it spills out onto the floor," Bartlett said.
The bathrooms are part of a $2.2 million renovation that is now almost a month behind schedule.
Residents of the first and fourth floors of Tutt and Knilans halls will just be getting their bathrooms back this week.
From today on, the remaining floor bathrooms will be opened as they are completed. In the meantime, Wellers and Wells West halls have acted as the allocated facilities for Tutt and Knilans residents.
Yet students won't be left without compensation. The university will assign a partial housing refund for "the inconvenience to the bathroom on a deferent floor/building, the cleanliness inside and outside of the buildings, having contractors working on occupied floors with the associated noise, smells and associated debris."
Housing credits are based on the weekly double housing rate of $91.25 as follows: $45.62 for the first week and $22.81 for weeks two through four.
"The way it was handled from the construction and state overture was a lurch, we had nowhere to put the students," Bartlett said.
University officials intend on suing the contractor, due to the violation of the agreement they had signed to have Tutt and Knilan's halls refurbished and operational by Aug. 15.
The project was first turned over to the contractor on May 21, and encountered its first delay on June 18. Structural deficiencies were uncovered and gave warrant to an extended completion date.
On July 16, the Department of State Facilities met with Residence Life regarding the aforementioned deficiencies and amended the project completion dates.
The first and fourth floors of both halls would be completed by Aug. 14, and the second and third floors would be completed by Aug. 26.
The tile needed to kick start the project did not arrive until Aug. 12. The delay in the arrival of the tile and other work materials set back the completion date back even further.
"They weren't finished, not even close," Frank Bartlett, Interim Director of Resident Life, said. "Money doesn't matter, it gets to the point where it's about the work getting done."
On Aug. 19, it was discovered that the first and fourth floors of Tutt and Knilans halls had encountered waterproofing issues.
The bathrooms were of such poor quality items had to be pulled out. The setbacks pushed the project back a minimum of three days.
"In the first floor of Tutt and Knilans there's pooling of water and after it gets to a certain level it spills out onto the floor," Bartlett said.
The bathrooms are part of a $2.2 million renovation that is now almost a month behind schedule.
Residents of the first and fourth floors of Tutt and Knilans halls will just be getting their bathrooms back this week.
From today on, the remaining floor bathrooms will be opened as they are completed. In the meantime, Wellers and Wells West halls have acted as the allocated facilities for Tutt and Knilans residents.
Yet students won't be left without compensation. The university will assign a partial housing refund for "the inconvenience to the bathroom on a deferent floor/building, the cleanliness inside and outside of the buildings, having contractors working on occupied floors with the associated noise, smells and associated debris."
Housing credits are based on the weekly double housing rate of $91.25 as follows: $45.62 for the first week and $22.81 for weeks two through four.
"The way it was handled from the construction and state overture was a lurch, we had nowhere to put the students," Bartlett said.
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larryfitzsimmons
larry fitzsimmons
posted 9/22/08 @ 3:20 PM CST
What does Vista Design have to say about it?
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