By Adam Allington, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – A jury heard closing arguments Monday in a lawsuit brought by the transit agency Metro against a group of design consultants known as the Cross County Collaborative.
Metro hired the CCC to design and manage the construction of the new MetroLink line from Forest Park to Shrewsbury, in south St. Louis County. That project opened last year, 15 months late and $126 million over budget.
The CCC claims the timetable was shifted due to problems relocating utilities, obtaining permits and purchasing real-estate, none of which they were originally contracted to do. Furthermore, defense attorneys allege that Metro knew all along that after-the-fact redesigns, such as the lowered track along the Forest Park Parkway, would increase costs.
Metro has refused to pay and is seeking $75 million in actual damages, plus another $5.7 million in fraud claims.
The collaborative has filed a countersuit to recoup money they claim was owed to them at the time they were fired.