FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT
Jill Smith, Communications Manager
c: 509-953-6695, jsmith@SpokaneValleyWA.gov

Spokane Valley Settles City Hall Construction Litigation

SPOKANE VALLEY, WA—At the Jan. 28 City Council meeting, Spokane Valley City Councilmembers unanimously approved an $11.75 million settlement with Meridian Construction, the general contractor for the construction of the Spokane Valley City Hall.

This is the fourth and final settlement regarding construction repairs to the Spokane Valley City Hall building and ends the city’s involvement in further litigation. The City previously received settlements totaling $2.185 million with the architectural firm Architects West and project management firms Allwest Testing & Engineering in May 2023 and Eight 31 in November 2024.

“We are thankful to recoup taxpayers’ dollars and to see this process come to a close, as this settlement not only reimburses the money spent on critical repairs but also ensures that we can address all remaining work needed for our City Hall,” said Mayor Pam Haley. “It's a significant step forward for Spokane Valley as we move on from these challenges and focus on our 2025 city priorities.”

Initial construction of the Spokane Valley City Hall was completed in September 2017. Upon occupation, significant defects were discovered. Multiple consultants were hired to identify the nature and extent of the defects. In April 2020, the City filed a lawsuit against four companies involved in the construction of the building to determine the defendants' responsibility for the building’s construction defects and order the responsible parties to compensate the City for damages incurred.

In January 2023, the Council awarded a $4 million progressive design-build contract to Garco Construction to remediate the building’s critical deficiencies and defects. Repairs addressing the settling of the building’s foundation and its impacts were completed in August 2024. The City is currently evaluating further necessary remediation work.

To learn more, view City Manager John Hohman's presentation at the Jan. 28, 2025, Council meeting beginning at 28 minutes, 29 seconds in the recording. 

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