BY GREGORY A. HALL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON -- Fears that a million-dollar lawsuit between Kenton County and the builder of its courthouse and parking garage would negatively affect construction have proven unfounded, county officials say.
Those fears of bad blood spilling into the construction work by Corporex Cos. were stated by the county's project manager, Rob Thrun, when he testified in a deposition on March 9.
The county is suing Corporex and its chairman, Bill Butler, to recoup an $850,000 settlement paid to the two losing bidders -- Wessels Construction and Development Corp. and Carroll Properties -- over the 1996 competition for courthouse and parking garage contracts. The county also seeks more than $700,000 in other damages and an unspecified amount as punishment.
The county accuses Mr. Butler of manipulating the process to win the $35.6 million contracts.
Corporex and Mr. Butler deny any wrongdoing and place blame on the county for failing to follow its own rules. In particular, company attorneys have previously detailed why they think Deputy Judge-executive George Neack targeted them. Mr. Neack has denied the allegations.
In March 9 testimony, Mr. Thrun said he didn't agree with the decision to sue Corporex.
"I believe if there was a dispute about this matter or some other matter, another mechanism should have been tried to solve it so it does not jeopardize the successful completion of those projects," Mr. Thrun said then.
Three county officials said last week that those concerns have not been realized.
"It has not, as of yet, spilled over in any fashion," Mr. Thrun said. "The day-by-day construction is going very well."
The only problems being seen are routine, such as weather, he said.
Essentially, the county and Corporex people involved in the lawsuit and those overseeing construction are separated, Mr. Thrun said.
A Corporex attorney declined to comment for this story. A company spokesman could not be reached.
The garage was turned over to the county on Aug. 17, about a month late but within the time frame that the county needed it, Mr. Thrun said. The parking facility had to be opened by this fall when the Northern Kentucky Convention Center across the street opens. The courthouse is on schedule, Mr. Thrun said, to be completed in the spring.
"Thus far, it's been going very smoothly," Mr. Thrun said. "That's how it really needs to happen and has happened. And I hope and believe it's going to continue that way."
Mr. Neack, who is the main target of Corporex's complaints, and County Attorney Garry Edmondson said they haven't seen the day-to-day work affected.
Possibly the only sign of the bad blood was when the garage opened last month.
"You didn't see any big dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting for the parking garage," Mr. Edmondson said. Both he and Mr. Neack indicated the quiet opening was a result of accusations being traded in the lawsuit.
