UI sues over Old Capitol Dome work
October 31, 2016
The University of Iowa is suing a construction company that had previously worked to restore the Old Capitol.
After the Dome was destroyed by a fire in 2001 (during work by a different construction company), the UI hired Knutson Construction to restore and improve the Old Capitol, especially its iconic gold Dome. The company completed work in 2004.
Since then, the UI has reportedly found deficiencies, and Knutson has allegedly refused to correct them. In July, Portzen Construction began an estimated $1.3 million project to fix the central attic, bell tower, and cupola sections of the central tower of Old Capitol, though no work is planned for the gilded dome, according to an Iowa Now story. Renovations on the Old Capitol are scheduled to be completed in early December.
Brad Johnson, the vice president and general manager of Knutson Construction Services, said in a statement to The Daily Iowan that the company has “held numerous discussions with university officials” regarding the correction of the Old Capitol deficiencies.
“We have at all times cooperated with the university to investigate the underlying causes of the conditions and to propose repairs,” he said.
Additionally, Johnson said in the statement, Knutson hired someone to aid in the investigation.
“The investigation is complicated by the fact that the work in question was performed more than a decade ago and involved multiple subcontractors and designers,” he said.
On behalf of Knutson, Johnson said the company “looks forward to getting this matter resolved fairly and promptly.”
The UI declined to comment on pending litigation.