Perini says it’s ‘willing and able’ to complete Harmon tower

Perini Building Co., the general contractor that oversaw construction of the $8.5 billion CityCenter development, told Clark County officials Friday it is "willing and able" to complete the unfinished Harmon tower, which a structural engineer says could collapse in a major earthquake.

In letters to Clark County Commission Chairwoman Susan Brager and Clark County Building Official Ron Lynn, the construction company disputes the findings of structural engineering firm Weidlinger Associates. Weidlinger, which is based in Marina Del Rey, Calif., cited "pervasive and varied" construction defects in the tower and said it would take 12 to 14 months to determine if the 27-story Harmon could even be repaired.

Weidlinger was brought in to evaluate the Harmon by CityCenter co-developer MGM Resorts International at the request of Clark County building officials who wanted a third party to look at the building. The county wanted another opinion after building division consultant William P. Moore Structural Engineers concluded the Harmon "suffered from certain vulnerabilities."

Perini President Craig Shaw said the company, which is still the building permit holder for Project CityCenter, hired another structural engineering firm, John A. Martin & Associates, to evaluate the Harmon's tower and podium and come up with a plan to fix the troubled building.

Perini, however, never directly says the company would cover the cost of fixing the Harmon.

"Like you, safety is of paramount concern to our company," Shaw said. "We would not commit that Harmon tower is safe if we were not 100 percent confident of this fact."

Shaw disputes claims by Weidlinger that the Harmon could crumble.

"The Harmon tower is no danger of partial or complete collapse even in the event of a 'code-level' earthquake," Shaw said.

In an emailed statement Friday, Clark County Director of Public Communications Erik Pappa said, "Our practice is to communicate with the building's owner, not their former agents or former contractors."

On Tuesday, Lynn told CityCenter's developers they had until Aug. 15 to devise a strategy for either repairing or demolishing the building.

Lynn said the development, which is 50-50 owned by MGM Resorts and Dubai World, is required to "provide a plan of action that will abate the potential for structural collapse and protect" neighboring buildings and businesses along the Strip.

MGM Resorts spokesman Gordon Absher said the company's goal is to comply with the county's directive so that a proper assessment can be made on the Harmon

"Perini's continued requests to fix the Harmon is like the director of 'Ishtar' demanding a sequel," Absher said in reference to one of the biggest Hollywood movie bombs of all time. "CityCenter has absolutely zero confidence or trust that Perini can and will properly fix a building it has so badly constructed thus far."

Shaw said the Harmon "presents no risk to public safety."

Perini is locked in a Clark County District Court lawsuit with MGM Resorts concerning nonpayment for work on CityCenter and construction defects with the Harmon.

Conceived as a 47-story luxury hotel and condominium tower, the Harmon was scaled back in size and scope and eventually mothballed after building inspectors discovered structural defects in 2008.

Building inspectors found that structural work on the Harmon did not match plans submitted to Clark County. The construction issues involved improperly placed steel reinforcing bar, commonly known as rebar.

In his letter to the county, Shaw said Perini and Martin would address both the "major design deficiencies and the minor construction defects" and bring the Harmon in code compliance.

Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.