Borst Park Events Center Close to Hiring New Contractor

Published 5:00 pm Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The Fort Borst Park events center building came a little closer to reality Tuesday when the board of the Lewis County Public Facilities District all but signed a construction agreement with general contractor Kaufman Construction to build the structure, a key part of the Lewis County Event Center and Sports Complex in Centralia. Depending on when a contract can actually be signed and construction started, the building contract could be substantially complete by as soon as Thanksgiving.

The status of the project was in doubt just last month when the former general contractor Drury Construction and the PFD came to loggerheads over a variety of issues that were generally categorized as bad communication between the two entities.

According to June 28 PFD Board meeting minutes, a hold work order was placed on Drury after the project was red-tagged for site work done without a construction permit. Other issues, such as construction methods the PFD was clearly not comfortable with, and contract change orders submitted before building construction had even begun, all finally led the PFD to terminate Drurys contract earlier this month.

Kaufman, which had been hired by Drury as a subcontractor and was familiar with the project, stepped into the void.

This is the most comfortable Ive been with anything since we started, Rose Bowman, PFD board treasurer and Lewis County treasurer, said.

Such as the mood after the board received reports from both the project architect, INNOVA formerly Camelot, another subcontractor for Drury and board attorney Greg Guedel of the Seattle law firm Foster Pepper. Between them and a Kaufman representative, there was clearly a consensus regarding how to get the project jump-started and moving ahead toward completion.

We were sitting here just a few weeks ago wringing our hands over, well, are we even going to have a building this year; is it going to go into next year, PFD Board Chair Judy DeVaul said. Im very pleased with what Kaufman has come forward with and their timeline, and their ability to communicate.

Contracts with Drury and their subcontractors will need to be closed out. That most of the subcontractors, if not all, will be continue to work on the project under Kaufman makes things easier and maintains continuity in the project going forward.

Drury still must submit a final invoice for work done to date on their now-terminated contract, according to Guedel.

Lee Hughes: (360) 807-8239