Construction manager OK’d for vets home

Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2001 | 8:33 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The state Board of Examiners on Tuesday approved a $100,000 contract for a company to oversee construction at the Veterans Nursing Home in Boulder City.

Work has been delayed and construction costs have gone over budget.

Metcalf Builders Inc. of Carson City will provide professional construction management services at the site. State Budget Director Perry Comeaux told the board Metcalf is working to bring back some of the original subcontractors, who will be charged with finishing the job.

Comeaux said other subcontractors would be used to complete the work, scheduled to be finished by the end of the year.

Metcalf will be paid from funds withheld from the original contractor -- Addison Inc. The Public Works Board removed the company from the project when work fell behind schedule and exceeded estimated costs.

Addison has sued, and company officials say it is owed more than $1 million for work it performed but was never paid for. The company has also sought an injunction to force the state to reinstate the company.

The 180-bed home was to be completed Jan. 4, 2001, for $19.3 million, but costs associated with the project are about $1 million more than that. To keep costs down, the home has been reduced from 112,000 square feet to 88,000 square feet.

The board also agreed to a settlement of up to $130,000 for Tom Fronapfel, an executive of the state Department of Transportation, who claims he was harassed because he was a whistleblower.

Department officials deny they did anything wrong in regard to the case, which dates to 1996.