UI still holding final payment to Modern Piping over construction documents
Hunter
4/30/19
The battle between the University of Iowa and Modern Piping isn’t over.
The Daily Iowan reports that the school still maintains it has not received final construction documents for the Stead Family Children’s Hospital and won’t pay a court-ordered settlement until they get them.
UI spokesperson Janene Beck confirmed that the $13 million dollar settlement has been placed into an independent attorney’s trust account. The money won’t be released until the architecture firm on the building’s construction approves the final documents from Modern Piping.
The documents in question include corrected plans, a building information model, and LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, submittals.
The UI and the architect, Heery, confirmed that they are not in possession of those documents.
Modern Piping Chief Executive Officer Ken Brown shared an e-mail exchange with University President Bruce Harreld on Monday afternoon, in which Brown stated that they would not agree to place the payment in escrow. Brown cites the Arbitration Panel, which concluded that Modern Piping fully completed the project, and the Johnson County District Court and the Iowa Court of Appeals, which agreed with the Arbitration panel.
Brown has offered to provide copies of the disputed documents once they’re fully paid, reiterated his contention that Modern Piping provided the documents two full years ago, and pointed out that the University can download copies of the completed documents from a website.