The Du Page County Board Tuesday ratified an out-of-court settlement with a Naperville contractor accused of doing shoddy masonry work on the county`s administration building.
Under terms of the agreement, the contractor, Wil-Freds Inc., will buy or give the county money to buy an annuity worth $1 million to Du Page over a 20- year period in exchange for the county`s dropping its breach of contract suit against the firm.
The administration building, which cost $9 million to build in 1974, has cost the county $5 million in repairs.
Wil-Freds Inc. was the general contractor for the county`s 277,000-square foot administration building at 421 County Farm Rd., Wheaton.
The county`s suit against Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, the Chicago architectural firm that designed the three-story building, and Leonard Kendra, the firm`s chief architect, is pending. A trial in Du Page County Circuit Court is set to begin July 13. The suit was filed in September, 1982.
In a joint statement issued by the firm and the county, it was noted that ”Wil-Freds` participation in a settlement agreement is not to be construed as an admission that it was in any way liable for the building`s brick problems.”
A two-year, $5-million project to replace the masonry on the building was completed early this year.
County officials said they didn`t know how much up-front money Wil-Freds would have to pay to meet the terms of the $1 million annuity.
County officials said the firm`s insurance company refused to accept liability in the case. ”In view of the circumstances, it was probably one of the best (settlements) we could get,” said county board Chairman Jack Knuepfer.
