A joint venture of Skanska‘s Seattle office and Hunt Construction won a legal victory last week as a judge ordered it was improperly terminated from a massive Seattle project.

The matter may now go to trial, delaying construction of the $1.4 billion expansion of the Washington State Convention Center.

The WSCC had terminated its negotiated contract with Skanska-Hunt as the parties were coming to terms for the impending brick-and-mortar phase.

In a ruling issued Wednesday in King County Superior Court, Judge Beth Andrus said WSCC now may either reinstate Skanska-Hunt and proceed with the project, or abandon the GC-CM alternative procurement method and convert the project to traditional low-bid.

“It may not start the GC/CM competitive selection process over,” Judge Andrus wrote.

If the parties don’t settle, the order stipulates they must go to trial within 120 days.

In a statement, Skanska praised the decision.

“We are obviously very pleased with this decision, and the citizens of Washington State should be, as well,” the statement reads. “Hopefully, today’s decision drives WSCC and its advisors to finally move forward with construction discussion that are aimed at resolving this matter and doing what is best for the taxpayers.”

The GC-CM method incorporates the general contractor into the earlier stages of the construction process. It’s favored by public agencies on large and/or complex projects where it’s considered important to have the builder involved during design. In Washington, public owners must apply with a state advisory board to use it.

In January 2015, the WSCC obtained that approval by Washington’s Capital Projects Advisory Review Board. Skanska-Hunt submitted a bid proposal in April, and two months later, was named winner of the bid over two other short-listed finalists.

The joint venture provided preconstruction services to the project’s developer, Pine Street Group of Seattle, from June 2015 to March of this year, when the project’s board of directors voted to terminate its agreement with Skanska-Hunt.

In an interview last month with the 91ÊÓƵ, Pine Street principal Matt Griffin said Skanska-Hunt hadn’t proved to be a good fit for the project. But in evidence submitted with the lawsuit, Skanska-Hunt alleged the WSCC was actually interested in working with a less-expensive firm.

Reached by phone Thursday, Griffin called that a “misrepresentation.” He said he didn’t know if the board of directors would settle or go to trial.

“We need to decide what our next steps are,” he said.

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