Hundreds of subcontractors involved in suit
Six years after structural defects were uncovered at the Harmon Hotel in Las Vegas, a trial pitting owner CityCenter against the Harmon’s builders and contractors is about to begin.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the proceedings could last as long as a year. And no wonder: lawyers for the different parties, including hundreds of subcontractors, are so numerous, District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez’s courtroom is being reconfigured to make room for them all.
The Harmon was designed to serve guests visiting CityCenter, MGM Resorts International’s 67-acre Strip development. It was originally designed as a 47-story tower; it was later modified to 26 stories. But work was halted on the Harmon after the defects were discovered in 2008, and it has been vacant ever since. Currently the hotel is being demolished piece by piece, due to concerns about its instability. A structural engineer hired by MGM Resorts said the building could topple if an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.7 were to hit Las Vegas, the Review-Journal reported.
But Perini Building Co., the lead contractor, insists the structure could have been saved. The company said MGM chose to scuttle the project because CityCenter, which opened during the recession, had proven unprofitable, and MGM saw a chance to save some money. According to the case synopsis, “Perini and CityCenter have accused each other of breaching their contract, and each side is requesting money damages.”
