By C1 Staff
DES MOINES — State officials have agreed to pay $7 million of the $131 million cost of a much delayed new maximum-security facility in Fort Madison, with the rest to potentially be figured out in court.
The Gazette reports that the new project has been plagued by delays, mistakes and cost overruns, pushing costs higher and higher with each new issue.
The State Appeal Board voted 3-0 to approve a $6.965 million settlement with the contractor Walsh Construction Co. that was the result of mediation.
The main project contractor submitted a claim for nearly $18.2 million in December 2013 to cover the expense of fixing problems at the yet-to-be-opened prison.
A professional mediator ruled that the state should pay about 40 percent of what Walsh Construction sought to settle all outstanding claims.
Board members were told the new prison is expected to be housing inmates by the end of the summer, but members are taking this with a grain of salt.
The board’s decision settled the state’s dispute with the project’s general contractor but other issues related to the building’s design and functions are unresolved.