Norman Sues Contractors Involved In Construction Of Central Library

The city of Norman is suing contractors and designers involved in the construction of its newest library.

Celebrations were held in the fall of 2019 to mark the library opening. After opening Norman’s Central Library was closed within four years due to mold found inside.

"The sales tax dollars and the people paid for this library,” said former Norman Mayor Breea Clark.

However, the years that followed have been challenging. By 2023, the library was shut down because mold had been detected and never reopened.

The city has filed a lawsuit against FlintCo Construction, architecture firm ADG Blatt, MSR Design, and 20 unnamed defendants, claiming they breached their contracts.

In the suit, the city says that MSR Design's contract required it to "at a minimum, safeguard against and/or prevent the intrusion of water into the library.” The city alleges that MSR did not meet industry standards, citing multiple leaks found throughout the building. The lawsuit also claims that significant water damage occurred during construction in 2016. Court documents accuse FlintCo of “work that is nonconforming to the plans and specifications for the project,” leading to substantial leaks in the $39 million building. The city claims damages exceed $75,000.

In November, the Pioneer Library System, which oversees the Norman Library, stated, "We do know we have about 1,200 items in one of the staff areas with high containment. Those items will all be removed.”

The city of Norman does not comment on pending litigation, and the Central Library is said to be closed indefinitely.

The Pioneer Library System has announced that its board recently approved a closed-stack warehouse where customers can check out unaffected materials from Norman Central. They encourage library members to visit their West and East locations as well.