Sylmar : Mission College Fires Library Contractor

Mission College officials this week said the company contracted to build its high-technology, $11 million library has been fired, but maintained that the new building is still on schedule for completion late this year.

College officials declined to specify why the contract was terminated, citing a legal claim made by the company, Orange County-based Lewis Jorge Construction Management Inc.

“We’re right on schedule with the project, and subcontractors are still working there,” said Mission College spokeswoman Ina Geller.

“We will have a new lead contractor on board by next week,” Geller said, adding that “we might even pick up more speed and finish ahead of schedule” after the new contractor begins work.

The owner of Lewis Jorge Construction Management Inc. could not be reached for comment on Friday. The Contractors State License Board, which regulates construction contractors in California, said the company’s license is valid and that the company has received no citations.

The Los Angeles Community College District awarded Lewis Jorge a $7.7 million contract for the project in August 1994. On Wednesday, the district’s Board of Trustees authorized an emergency resolution to hire a new contractor for the project without seeking competitive bids, describing the incomplete building at Mission as “a dangerous area.”

When it is complete, the 57,500-square-foot Library Learning Research Center will offer students and community members a variety of state-of-the-art reference and educational resources, including video teleconferencing, Internet access and multimedia computer and video production studios.