Plano ISD trustees approve fine arts center lawsuit settlement

A settlement agreement can signal the end of a lawsuit over Robby & Lynore Robinson Fine Arts Center in Plano.

Plano ISD trustees voted unanimously to approve the settlement agreement on August 20. This was for a suit filed against the district by the law firm Peckar & Abramson PC on behalf of McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. in Collin County Circuit Court.

what happened

Upon approval of the terms of a settlement agreement, legal proceedings that began in February 2022 over $67.5 million visual arts center located at 1800 Alma Drive may end. Terms of the settlement agreement were not disclosed during the meeting, and county officials did not respond to a request for additional details.

At the meeting, Johnny Hill, PISD's deputy superintendent for business and employment services, said the district administration recommended adopting settlement agreement.

McCarthy Building Companies, the at-risk construction manager for the fine arts center, had sought $11.45 million in damages for alleged breach of contract. The suit alleges the company has not been paid for the entire balance of the project and change orders for the fine arts center, as previously reported by Impact on the Community.

How we got here

The fine arts center was included in PISD's $481 million 2016 bond program and hosts several events for students and outside artists. The 82,000-square-foot facility opened after several delays in July 2023 and includes a visual arts gallery, 1,500-seat performance hall and a black box theater.

The fine arts center was originally slated to open in January 2022, but delays occurred due to claims by the district of “significant cracking as a result of poor workmanship and/or design,” as previously reported by Community Impact.

Discussions ea the proposed settlement agreement The lawsuit between PISD trustees has been ongoing since at least March 2023.

Takeaway

If finalized by the parties to the lawsuit, legal proceedings between McCarthy, PISD, architectural firm Perkins & Will and more may be completed in more than two years.