The Dormitory Delay
A legal tug-of-war erupts between the state and a contractor over unfinished college buildings and a five-thousand-dollar claim for damages.
The story, cleaned up
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The board of regents of the Agricultural College (now Washington State University) concluded a session focused on the acceptance of Ferry Hall, the new men's dormitory. Contractor A. E. Barrett, who built both Ferry Hall and Science Hall, filed a claim for $5,095, citing damages caused by the state's failure to provide brick in a timely manner. The board accepted the building so that students could move in, but left the question of damages open, hinting that the matter may be settled in the courts.
“all questions of claims for damages between the board and contractors are left open, and there is a possibility that the courts may yet be appealed to.”
Construction delays and cost-overrun litigation remain staples of public works projects in Washington, echoing the tension between private contractors and state institutions a century later.
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