LYNNWOOD — Contractors recently agreed to pay the city more than $1.4 million to settle a lawsuit over the construction of the Lynnwood Recreation Center.
The center opened in 2011 with pools, water slides and workout space. The total cost was more than $22 million.
Within six months, it became clear there were problems with humidity, air pressure and corrosion, said Lynn Sordel, the city parks director.
The heating, ventilation and air conditioning system was to blame, he said. The system did not meet international and state codes for public pools. Air flow is particularly important because of the chlorine used in the pool.
The city filed a lawsuit in 2013, accusing six companies of defective and negligent work. Defendants included the architect and the engineer.
Early intervention likely prevented more serious damage to the building, Sordel said. The ventilation system was replaced in 2014. The city spent about $2.1 million altogether on the repairs, the litigation and a study of what went wrong.
The settlements were signed in December 2016, ending the court case. The newspaper obtained the documents through a public records request.
The city received the checks last week. The bulk of the money — a combined $1 million — came from NAC Architecture in Seattle and L&S Engineering in Spokane. Neither firm wanted to comment for this story.
As part of the agreements, the city won’t pursue further legal action, and the defendants denied wrongdoing.
The money will go into the park development capital fund, Sordel said.
The recreation center is believed to be the most popular destination in Lynnwood after the Alderwood mall. It sees about 42,000 visitors a month.
The city expects to create another parking lot at the center later this year. A new rain shield also is planned over the sidewalk in front of the building.
“That will be very well-received by our people who stand in line out there regularly,” Sordel said.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @rikkiking.
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