April 7, 2016

Judge orders trial in WSCC contractor dispute

A King County Superior Court judge issued a ruling yesterday about the Washington State Convention Center’s decision to terminate Skanska-Hunt as the general contractor/construction manager on the center’s $1.4 billion expansion, saying WSCC is not required to immediately reinstate Skanska-Hunt but is barred from restarting the search for a new GC/CM.

Judge Beth Andrus determined that the disagreement between WSCC and its contractor, a joint venture between Skanska and Hunt Construction Group, has many disputed facts that would best be resolved by a trial. The decision said that the trial will occur within 120 days.

Skanska-Hunt argued it was terminated because WSCC wanted to find a less expensive GC/CM.

The WSCC team argued it was concerned that Skanska-Hunt wasn’t creative enough to find ways to cut costs or reduce the schedule.

If WSCC wants a new contractor, Andrus ruled it must use the traditional low-bid model. But if WSCC wants to use a GC/CM, it must reinstate Skanska-Hunt in that role.

Skanska-Hunt released a statement saying it was pleased with the ruling because it protects the contractor’s rights and “helps preserve the integrity of the public procurement process.”

Pine Street Group, development manager for the expansion, issued a statement saying it is pleased with the decision to uphold its termination of Skanska-Hunt but will study the ruling before deciding on the next steps.