Tentative Settlement to Lawsuit Over Rochester Parking Ramp
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A tentative agreement has apparently been reached to settle a lawsuit filed by the City of Rochester against the firm hired by the city to design its newest parking ramp.
If it can be finalized by then, City Councilmember Shaun Palmer says the proposed settlement is expected to be included on the agenda for Monday evening's meeting of the Rochester City Council. It will be a "walk-in" item and the details of the agreement will not be made public until the City Council meeting gets underway.
The lawsuit essentially accused Collaborative Design Group of failing to design Ramp 6, to accommodate a 10 story housing project on top of the parking structure. The ramp is located next to the Hilton Hotel in downtown Rochester and opened three years ago. The city began negotiating with a developer on the housing project soon after the parking ramp opened but the discussions were suspended after the city discovered there was insufficient structural and footing support for the vertical expansion.
The lawsuit documentation indicates the design firm acknowledged the city's findings but did not provide an explanation "for its failure to design the ramp to be construction-ready for housing structure." The lawsuit also says significant modifications would have to be made to the parking structure to accommodate the planned housing project.
If either side in the dispute fails to approve the proposed settlement, the case is currently scheduled for trial next March.
Rochester City Councilmember Shaun Palmer joined Andy on Rochester Today to talk about those issues, along with a new proposal for a major housing project in downtown Rochester and the plans for a Sixth Street Bridge over the Zumbro River. Listen in the player below: