Chip Ingraham Quoted in Engineering News Record (ENR)

An article ("Fired Designers’ Suit Boosts Atlanta Battle: Allegations fly over Hartsfield terminal budget scope, contract disputes, schedule and future") in the August 22-29, 2005 issue of the ENR notes that "months of "bad blood" between the design team of a new $688-million international terminal at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and city officials led to the team’s firing earlier this month, the designers’ countersuit and a flurry of bitter allegations by both sides."

The city of Atlanta, which owns Hartsfield, on Aug. 15 terminated the $34-million contract of Terminal Design Team (TDT), the design consortium led by Omaha-based Leo A Daly. It also includes Anthony C. Baker Architects & Planners, New York City, and two Atlanta firms, KHAFRA Engineering Consultants and Browder + LeGuizamon and Associates. The city claimed the team defaulted. The team sued Atlanta in Fulton County Court on Aug. 16 for breach of contract, seeking $10 million for payments owed the team and $50 million for damage to its reputation. That was followed three days later by a written demand from outside city attorney for the team to drop the suit, claiming the city is exempt from damages.

TDT attorney Chip Ingraham says the team will not drop the suit. "The contract clearly contemplates that 100% construction documents will be used when the construction project is competitively bid to select the construction contractor," says Ingraham. "A different process was utilized by the city in selecting the CM-at-risk. As a result, the city clearly failed to follow contract requirements with TDT." TDT alleges that airport officials violated an agreed two-week "cooling off" period by announcing the team’s termination at a press conference the same day it notified the designers by letter. While airport officials talk of replacing the design team, they offer no timetables. Even so, some airport designers say they’re not anxious to get involved with the project in its current state. Says one, "there’s too much blood on the floor."