Penalties mount for late Des Moines park project
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Hold your pee. The completion of this bathroom at Des Moines' Witmer Park is more than 70 days late. (This is how it looked a week ago.) Photo: Jason Clayworth/Axios
Graphite Construction faces at least $35,500 in penalties for failing to complete a Des Moines park project on time.
Driving the news: Witmer Park's $560,000 playground and restroom project was supposed to be ready to go by May 31. But more than two months later, the park isn't finished.
- Liquidated damages are $500 a day, according to the city contract.
State of play: The city's legal department last year advised the city council that they are bound by a 2017 state law that restricts a local government's review of a bidder's qualifications.
- Concerns about the contractor's track record in some other projects should not be considered in awarding the park contract to the lowest bidder, council members were told.
Catch up quick: Graphite, formerly the Rochon Corporation, is accused of being late or providing unsatisfactory work at new fire stations in DSM and Urbandale.
- A $750,000 settlement in June resolved outstanding payments due to the company but was less than was originally contracted, Urbandale city manager A.J. Johnson told Axios this week.
- Final payment negotiations linked with a DSM fire station that was last year completed more than three months late are ongoing, Peter Zemansky, a spokesperson for the city, told Axios this week.
What's next: Plumbing work continues and the city hopes Witmer’s bathrooms will open this month, city engineer Steve Naber told Axios.
- Graphite officials did not return multiple inquiries from Axios during the last week.
