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Forum Coordinator
Jefferson Parish has largely blamed thearchitectural firm Wisznia Associates for theJefferson Performing Arts Centerboondoggle. Now the parish has settled its lawsuit against the company for $1.3 million, although Wisznia did not admit liability.
That $1.3 million is less than the parish paid Wisznia to design the building, which has almost doubled in cost to $50.7 million and is three years behind schedule. But it's about the best possible deal for the public, considering that Wisznia's professional liability insurance policy was capped at $1 million and gave its defense counsel first dibs on the payout, said Dennis Phayer, who litigated the case for Jefferson Parish.
"The attorney had to get paid first, and the parish got what was left," Phayer said, who called the parish's decision to settle the suit "cold-blooded" and "realistic." Wisznia's attorney did not return calls for comment.
The parish sued the architectural firm for "breach of its contractual warranty, negligence and lack of professional skill." The suit specifically lists 17 design flaws.
The settlement, first signaled by a Nov. 2 motion to dismiss the suit in 24th Judicial District Court in Gretna, closes another chapter in the controversial history of the arts center. Since ground was broken at LaSalle Park in Metairie in 2007, the project has been riddled with design problems, construction delays, fire code violations, contract amendments, cost overruns and.......................................
Jefferson Parish settles lawsuit with performing arts center architect | NOLA.com
That $1.3 million is less than the parish paid Wisznia to design the building, which has almost doubled in cost to $50.7 million and is three years behind schedule. But it's about the best possible deal for the public, considering that Wisznia's professional liability insurance policy was capped at $1 million and gave its defense counsel first dibs on the payout, said Dennis Phayer, who litigated the case for Jefferson Parish.
"The attorney had to get paid first, and the parish got what was left," Phayer said, who called the parish's decision to settle the suit "cold-blooded" and "realistic." Wisznia's attorney did not return calls for comment.
The parish sued the architectural firm for "breach of its contractual warranty, negligence and lack of professional skill." The suit specifically lists 17 design flaws.
The settlement, first signaled by a Nov. 2 motion to dismiss the suit in 24th Judicial District Court in Gretna, closes another chapter in the controversial history of the arts center. Since ground was broken at LaSalle Park in Metairie in 2007, the project has been riddled with design problems, construction delays, fire code violations, contract amendments, cost overruns and.......................................
Jefferson Parish settles lawsuit with performing arts center architect | NOLA.com