Coralville officials in a lawsuit involving the transfer of Sycamore Mall’s Von Maur to the Iowa River Landing filed a counterclaim requesting the plaintiffs’ amended petition be dismissed.

Eighteen businesses and eight local developers originally filed a lawsuit March 1 asking the transfer of Von Maur to Coralville be temporarily stopped, claiming transactions in the deal were against the Iowa Code. Sixth District Judge Marsha Bergan denied the request March 26 because, she said, the plaintiffs could not prove they would likely win their case or that Coralville violated the code.

Coralville, in its counterclaim filed Monday, claimed the plaintiffs intentionally interfered with contracts Coralville had with entities involving the transfer, causing them to be "more burdensome or expensive." The counterclaim also cites the plaintiffs participated in civil conspiracy to engage in "wrongful and tortious conduct."

Coralville and Oliver McMillan are requesting the plaintiffs be ordered to pay compensatory and punitive damages, for attorneys fees, and other costs.

— by Beth Bratsos