Carson City firm to finish work on vets’ nursing home

Thursday, Aug. 16, 2001 | 9:54 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A Carson City firm has tentatively been selected as the contractor to complete work on the $19.3 million state's veterans nursing home in Boulder City, a project that is past deadline and over budget.

Senior Deputy Attorney General Brett Kandt said Wednesday Metcalf Builders Inc. has been chosen as the construction management company to finish the job that was supposed to be done by last January.

Metcalf Builders was recently called in by Carson City to complete work on a swimming pool project after disputes with the initial contractor about the quality of work.

Metcalf is surveying the veterans' home and deciding what must be done to allow the facility to be occupied.

Kandt said the state is working with existing subcontractors to see if they want to remain on the job. That would be the fastest way for the project to be completed, he said.

But the past contractor, Addison Inc., and some of the subcontractors, have millions of dollars of unpaid claims against the state.

The selection of Metcalf is tentative, said Kandt.

After the state removed Addison from the job, it was required to notify National Fire Union Co. of Hartford, Conn., which posted the bond on the project. National Fire has 20 days to decide if it wants to bring in a new contractor, allow the state to handle the job or take other action.

Kandt said a certified letter was sent Aug. 3 to National Fire. And the bonding company has asked for additional information, he said.

National Fire, he said, should respond by the end of next week regarding its decision.

Addison filed suit seeking a temporary restraining order stopping the state from removing the Las Vegas firm from the job. But District Judge Jeff Sobel refused to issue the order.

Steve Foster, vice president of operations for Addison, said the suit that seeks $6 million in claims from the state will take years through the court to resolve. Much of the blame for the delays with the project lies with the state because of more than 500 change orders on the project, he said.

The job was supposed to be completed Jan. 4. After that date, the state started assessing Addison $2,885 a day as a penalty. About $1.4 million has been withheld from Addison, state officials say.

And that money would be used to pay Metcalf to complete the job.