Auditors Called in to Resolve University
of Nevada Library Construction Dispute
Apparent cost overruns of up to $22 million have prompted state auditors to analyze billing documents related to the construction of the University of Nevada/Las Vegas’s Lied Library. A state fund earmarked for construction charges contains only $446,000 to pay millions in unpaid bills, and the state Public Works Board is embroiled in a conflict with general contractor Tibesar Construction over the remaining costs.
At the center of the dispute is a series of changes ordered by the library that delayed the facility’s originally scheduled opening date of October 22, 1999, by 193 days. While the contractor would ordinarily have had to pay a daily fine for the delays, in this case the fees were waived since the library’s alteration orders were slowing the project down. Tibesar is now arguing that the state owes it additional money to compensate it for business lost in the extra time it spent working on the library, according to the February 5 Las Vegas Sun.
Claims analysts will try to determine whether the Public Works Board ordered alterations that could not be paid for or whether Tibesar invoiced the board for expenses that had not been approved. Among the design changes ordered were: floor reinforcement (the original design could not support bookshelves); rewiring the entire building (wall outlets were obstructed by the shelves); and adding a loading dock, fireproofing, and escalators and elevators. The auditors are expected to take about two months to complete their report.
Posted February 12, 2001.
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