UI may commission its own closing documents for Stead Hospital construction
Hunter
5/3/19
The Daily Iowan reports that the University of Iowa is considering the use of a third party to create final Stead Family Children’s Hospital documents from scratch, standing by their contention that Modern Piping has not provided them with those documents.
Modern Piping was awarded $18 million over final construction costs, an amount that was upheld by the Iowa Court of Appeals last month. They still owe the contractor $13.5 million on that award. The University said they will make that final payment once Modern Piping provides the closing documents, which show what pipes they put in the Hospital.
Modern Piping maintains that they provided those documents to the University two years ago, and offered to provide an additional set of documents once the judgement is paid. But the UI says they won’t make the payment until they get the closing documents. Modern Piping has recently pointed out that the University and the main architect on the project have access to the records online.
In an interview with the DI, University President Bruce Harreld said Modern Piping would have to provide the corrected closing documents to the architect, Heery, and they would have to certify them. If not, he said the University would start from scratch and produce its own. Harreld tells the paper they would bill Modern Piping for the extra cost, which he estimates ranges “from the low millions to several millions.” He added that at this point he’s beginning to think the closing documents don’t exist.
