LONG BEACH : College Settles Suit Over Collapsed Building
Cal State Long Beach has settled its lawsuit against three companies involved in the construction of a music building that collapsed four years ago.
University spokeswoman Toni Beron said the university and the companies reached a settlement last month, but under the terms of the agreement could not release details.
Attorneys representing the companies were unavailable for comment.
The university filed suit accusing the companies of negligence and breach of contract after the roof of the Gerald R. Daniel Recital Hall collapsed July 2, 1990. The suit named as defendants Long Beach architects Hugh and Donald Gibbs, the Shirley Brothers Inc. construction firm of Pasadena and truss manufacturer Trus Joint Corp.
The recital hall and two other nearby buildings reopened last year after $2.7 million in repairs. The $6.3-million recital hall was built in 1982. Roofs on two other nearby buildings that were designed and built by the same companies also had to be repaired, Beron said.
A consultant hired by the university to investigate the collapse said the roof was poorly designed and improperly built. Some areas were missing nails and some wood supports had never been installed, the consultant said.
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