Settlement Paves Way for Demolition of Seattle Tower

After a heated dispute lasting more than a half-year, building owner Carpenters Tower LLC and its contractor, McCarthy Building Cos. Inc., have resolved all the legal issues related to the distressed, reinforced concrete frame of the 25-story McGuire Apartments in Seattle. The resolution clears the way for the demolition of the vacated residential tower, completed in 2001, though the owner has not yet set a timetable for the razing. The brouhaha reached a peak last spring after the owner claimed the cost to repair the building’s corroding post-tensioned slab system and other problems would exceed the structure’s worth. McCarthy then disputed the claim, bringing in its own team of experts to weigh in on the building’s condition and offer a fix. “We are pleased to have reached a mutually agreeable settlement on all issues,” says Susan Garritano, McCarthy’s spokeswoman. Both parties declined to release the terms of the settlement.