Yale is facing a lawsuit over its handling of the renovation of Payne Whitney Gymnasium.
A Madison, WI-based business, Quarra Stone Co., is suing the University claiming that it was unfairly removed from a project to cut stone for the restoration of Payne Whiteney Gymnasium. Quarra claims that Cap Stone Rock Projects, an Ohio quarry, breached its contract. The firm is asking for $75,000 for each of five separate accounts, for a total of $375,000.
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Madison, accuses Yale and Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., the general contractor for the ongoing restoration of Payne Whitney, of improperly interfering in Quarra’s contract with Cap Stone.
“Yale and Whiting then cut Quarra out of the project entirely,” the suit says, making plans to hire a Canadian company to fabricate the stone and causing “irreparable harm” to Quarra and its business, “leaving Quarra no option but to take this legal action.”
The suit comes amid the ongoing renovation of Payne Whitney, which is still covered in scaffolding after six years of renovations.
The suit is the fifth lawsuit faced by the University this year, which represent a significant decrease from last year, when the University faced 12 suits in civil court.