Nathan Kowallis, McCarthy senior vice president of operations, said the construction company has been working with the district, the project design team and outside experts “for many months” to find permanent solutions to the issues identified by PISD and revise the project’s timeline. He said independent parties brought in to review the issues have found that the problems with the project “are design driven.” While McCarthy has proposed solutions to allow the building to meet the original design, according to Kowallis, work has not progressed and the company has not been paid for all the work it has completed.
“As a result, we are now filing suit and pursuing the district based on our investigation, the defective design provided to McCarthy and for failing to pay for approved work, approved change orders and the cost to resolve the design,” Kowallis said in a Feb. 14 statement. “To minimize impact on community businesses and in support of the district, we have paid all of our subcontractors that worked on this project, even though McCarthy has not received the payment from Plano ISD. While we are disappointed to take these steps today, … we remain committed to working with all parties involved to identify a comprehensive solution.”
The 82,200-square-foot facility at 1800 Alma Drive was approved as part of PISD’s $481 million bond referendum in 2016. It was originally expected to be built by late 2019, but weather-related issues delayed the start of construction until April of that year. Inclement weather and pandemic-related complications delayed a previously planned opening for earlier this year, Bonser told Community Impact Newspaper in September.
Once it opens, the facility is expected to host hundreds of performance dates each year from PISD’s nearly 23,000 fine arts students in seventh to 12th grades, according to district staff. Events to be hosted at the center would include University Interscholastic League music and theater competitions, concerts, senior high school musicals and shows from outside arts groups, according to staff.