Developer Files Suit Over High School Construction

A development group that lost out to a higher bidder to construct a downtown high school filed suit Thursday against the Los Angeles Unified School District, seeking $5.7 million in damages.

The firm, California Partnerships, had teamed up with developer Goldrich, Kest & Associates to propose plans for the high school, which is under construction near Temple Street and Beaudry Avenue. But the district chose a team headed by Japanese construction giant Kajima International instead, even though their estimate was $30 million higher.

The suit, which comes seven months after a formal legal complaint, maintains that the district’s developer selection committee was biased because two of its five members worked for a law firm, O’Melveny & Myers, that represents Kajima in other areas. It also accuses the district of intentionally destroying records related to the development.