The Parish Attorney’s Office has dismissed allegations by architect Trey Trahan that the process of choosing the architect for the controversial $21 million downtown library was corrupted. “The conclusion was reached that the selection committee did nothing wrong,” says Senior Special Assistant Bob Abbott, who oversaw the investigation.
The controversy started on May 19, when a selection committee composed of architects, landscape designers and city officials chose a joint proposal by WHLC Architecture of Baton Rouge and Boston-based Schwartz/Silver Architects to design the library. Trahan’s firm had previously been the frontrunner for the contract, but placed last among three firms when the final selection was made.
A week later, Trahan claimed information meant to damage his reputation was circulated among committee members between the first and final votes. Specifically, the design of a European building said to be similar to Trahan’s design for the library was given to committee members in an attempt to imply Trahan’s design was not original.
Abbott says the investigation found two members of the committee did in fact see the image in question but that “they didn’t think it was any big deal” and believed it had no bearing on the final vote. The image was seen on a computer screen in Department of Public Works Chief Engineer Jim Ferguson’s office, says Abbott, adding it originated from “someone in the architecture community,” who passed it along to a DPW employee.
Upon reviewing the 22-year-old ordinance establishing the selection committee and process for choosing contractors, Abbot says, the committee’s ruling cannot be overturned by the mayor’s office, Metro Council or East Baton Rouge Library Board of Control. “There’s no protest procedure provided” in the ordinance, Abbott says. “If there’s enough basis, basically you should go directly to a lawsuit.”
Trahan’s attorney, Gray Sexton, says he doesn’t believe there is no administrative recourse for his client, adding it’s an issue he will fully explore before considering a lawsuit. “I can tell you we are absolutely satisfied that the selection process was corrupted, either intentionally or by the negligence of certain governmental individuals who disregarded their responsibilities in their zeal to skew the selection process in favor of a particular firm,” Sexton says.
East Baton Rouge Parish Library Director David Farrar put an item on the library board’s regular meeting agenda for Thursday to “remove the River Center Branch library construction project from the current construction schedule.” Farrar did not return calls for comment to explain the agenda item.
