Kansas City, Missouri, could face a Federal Aviation Administration investigation as it responds to a discrimination complaint over a $70 million contract awarded to provide concrete for the new single-terminal construction project at Kansas City International Airport.
A NEW DISCRIMINATIONLAWSUIT AGAINST KANSASCITY COULD STOP ORDELAY WORK ON THE NEWKANSAS CITYINTERNATIONAL AIRORT'SSINGLE TERMINALCONSTRUCTION PROJECT.41 ACTION NEWS ANCHORCYNTHIA NEWSOME ISFOLLOWING THE STORY.CYNTHIA ...THIS IS ABOUTA MULTI-MILLION DOLLARCONTRACT THAT WASGIVEN AND QUICKLY TAKENAWAY.IT WAS A 70-MILLIONDOLLAR CONTRACT FORCONCRETE AT KCI.TONIGHT --- TWO LEGALACTIONS ARE UNDERWAYTHE LOSING BIDDER ISASKING THE FEDERALAVIATION ADMINISTRATIONTO INVESTIGATE THEKANSAS CITY, CITYCOUNCIL'S ROLE IN THATREVERSAL.AND A SUB-CONTRACTOR--FOR THE LOSING BIDDER-- FILED A CIVIL RIGHTSCOMLAINT -- CLAIMINGDISCRIMINATION.THE SINGLE TERMINAL KCIPROJECT IS MASSIVE ---AND SOME BIG-MONEYCONTRACTS ARE BEINGAWARDED.ESCO CONSTRCTIONFROM COLORADO, JOINEDFORCES WITH KANSASCITY-BASED,G-2 CONSTRUCTION--OWNED BY A WOMAN.ESCO AND G-2 WERETHRILLED WHEN -- THEYWERE NAMED -- THELOWEST BIDDER ANDMOST QUALIFIEEDCOMPANY.BUT THEIR VICTORYCELEBRATION WAS BRIEF.THE KANSAS CITY, CITYCOUNCIL -- INTERVENED--CLAIMING CONCERNSABOUT ADEQUATEPARTICIPATION FROMWOMEN AND MINORITYBUSINESSES.ESCO AND -- ACOMPETING COMPANY ---- IDEKER -- BASED IN ST.JOSEPH -- HAD TORESUBMIT THEIR BIDS.ESCO AND G-2CONSTRUCTION LOST.THE ST.
JOSEPHCOMPANY, IDEKER --- WONTHE 70-MILLION DOLLARCONTRACT.THE PRESIDENT OF G-2CONSTRUCTION --- SAIDSHE FILED THEDISCRIMINATIONCOMPLAINT AGAINSTKANSAS CITYTO RE-CLAIM HERCOMPANY'S RIGHTS ANDREPUTATION -- AND TOMAKE SURE THE KANSASCITY, CITY COUNCILDOESN'T DO THE SAMETHING -- TO OTHERMINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES.Lisa Garney, Pesident G2Construction"We lost a major contract.
It'sa hit.We invested a lot of money andwewere the best team to do thejob,even if you take the woman ownedbusiness side out of this andthediscrimination that we'veenduredalong the way."Teresa Lore, KC City Council Rep"I've had a number of years downhere at City Hall and I haveneverseen a council intervene in asealedbid.
This is the first time.I knew we were going to be introublewhen this started happeninig andsure enough here we are.WE HAVE CONFIRMEDTHAT THE FAA ISREVIEWING THE REQUESTFOR AN INVESTIGATIONINTO THE KANSAS CITY,CITY COUNCIL'SINTERVENTION -- INTOTHE BIDDING PROCESS.COUNCIL MEMBER LOREIS CONCERNED THAT IFFEDERAL MONEY ISWITHHELD DURINIG ANINVESTIGATION, IT COULDDELAY CONSTRUCTIONAND OTHER OPERATIONSAT KCI.WE'LL KEEP FOLLOWINGTHE STORY FOR YOUCYNTHIA NEWSOME, 41ACTION NEWS."you got to see some g