Franklin County Sues Architect Over $26 Million in Extra Costs from Hilton Columbus Downtown Hotel Delays
The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (FCCFA), which owns the Hilton Columbus Downtown Hotel, is suing the hotel’s architect, Cooper Carry, for delays that resulted in an additional $26 million in costs. The lawsuit, filed on Monday in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, claims that the Atlanta-based architecture firm’s delays in providing complete plans and specifications caused significant financial losses.
The Hilton, a 28-story hotel located on North High Street next to the Greater Columbus Convention Center, was originally slated to open in June 2022 but faced numerous delays, eventually opening in September 2022. Despite the hotel now being operational, the lawsuit alleges that design flaws and incomplete architectural plans have continued to cause issues, leading to ongoing costs for the FCCFA.
According to the suit, Cooper Carry was contracted to deliver complete construction drawings by September 27, 2019, for a fixed fee of $8.5 million. However, the firm failed to meet deadlines, with the first set of construction documents provided on September 6, 2019, being incomplete. More detailed plans were submitted in November but were still only about 50% complete. These delays, the suit claims, caused major construction setbacks, including issues with elevator functionality.
The final set of construction drawings wasn’t delivered until January 29, 2021, for the building’s exterior and March 31, 2021, for the interior—well behind the original schedule. As a result, the contractors, Turner Construction Company and Smoot Construction Company, were forced to begin work before receiving full plans, leading to a staggering 2,344 requests for information (RFIs) to address design gaps.
These delays resulted in significant financial impacts, including lost profits, extended contracts, and costs for additional changes. The hotel’s opening was pushed back, forcing the cancellation of reservations, guest relocations, and loss of expected revenue. The delays and resulting costs totaled $26 million, including $3.4 million for change orders, $2.9 million in lost profits, and $3 million for contract extensions.
The FCCFA is suing Cooper Carry for breach of contract and is seeking over $11.5 million in damages to cover these additional costs. Cooper Carry has yet to respond to the lawsuit or provide comments on the claims.
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