SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — The City of Spokane Valley is entering mediation talks with the construction companies it blames for millions of dollars in repairs on the city hall building.
It built the $14 million City Hall in 2017, but not long after it was built cracks started to appear in the walls. The curved exterior wall of the council chambers needed the most critical repairs. A city staff report says it's spent roughly $4M in repairs.
In the city’s lawsuit against the construction companies on the project, it said a third-party consultant identified several defects and damage to the building, including cracking and movement on both the interior and exterior faces of the radiused wall, council chamber drywall cracking and improper connection of steel support angles.
The city filed the lawsuit in 2020 against Meridian Construction, Architects West, Allwest Testing and Engineering and Eight31 Consulting.
It wants the companies to pay for the cost of repairing the building. A city staff report said that the cost so far is nearly $4 million. It budgeted $6.1 million for the repairs and lawsuit.
In an update at the city council meeting on Tuesday, we learned both parties agreed to begin settlement conversations. The mediation will stretch from Oct. 28 to November 1. The city report expected this litigation to cost the city another $300,000, leaving only $100,000 for what it budgeted.
Court records show Meridian Construction did try to get the lawsuit dismissed. Although settlement talks will begin this fall, a trial for the city’s lawsuit against the construction companies is set for July 2025.