Eidos Architects of Denver, accused by Dolores schools of underestimating costs for campus construction, stands by its estimate of $5,799,686.
"Eidos does not believe the cost estimates were too low, at least for the project the school district said it wanted at the time," said Eidos project manager Rick Nearman.
According to the suit, the school district said it lost $1.5 million to $1.7 million because of cost overruns, missed grant funding, and project downsizing as a result of the estimate.
"Eidos' opinion of probable construction costs was inaccurate and false by a substantial margin," states the lawsuit, signed by attorney Stephen G. Everall, who represents the district. "As a result, Dolores was deprived of additional funding from the BEST (grant) program, had to eliminate certain improvements, and (had) substantial cost overruns."
The project is nearly complete and consists of new science and vocational trades buildings, an expanded elementary school, remodeled locker rooms, facility upgrades and landscaping.
After a bond election to raise matching funds, the district hired a general contractor and dropped Eidos for a different architect. Eidos argues that is the problem.
"The project the new architect designed turned out to be much different than what Eidos proposed," Nearman said. "So the district is comparing apples to oranges, which is unfair."
According to the complaint, the district claims they eliminated $1 million in improvements and had to pay an additional $200,000 to $400,000 to comply with flood regulations they say were not contemplated in the Eidos estimate.
"We tried to settle but they wanted the moon," Nearman stated.
An eight-day trial is scheduled for fall 2015.
jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com