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Burlington construction company owner says he is owed money for work on Fort Madison prison

A Burlington construction company owner says he is still owed money for work he did on the Fort Madison prison more than two years ago. “Very frustrated, ...

A Burlington construction company owner says he is still owed money for work he did on the Fort Madison prison more than two years ago.

"Very frustrated, "said John Gayewski, "In the 35 years I've been doing this, since I was a kid, this is the most colossal I've ever seen in my life."

He said his company, G & B Construction in Burlington, was one of the first on the site, doing excavation and site work.

"We are a small company and it was a huge job for us to do," he said.

The job was $3.3 million worth of excavating and site work signed on a contract with the project's contractor Walsh Construction. There were issues with the soil so G & B's workload increased. By the end of the project they had completed close to $6 million worth of work.

"We signed a contract as big as a book and basically we were a slave for two years on the project," said Gayewski.

More than two years later, he says he's still owed more than $500,000.

"I haven't gotten a response from anybody," he said.

Gayewski says he took out a loan to help cover the costs.

"I know it's a compacted situation but there's me and a lot of other contractors out there that are owed a lot of money which is not being paid out," he said.

News Eight reached out to Walsh Construction, but as of 4:30 p.m. on March 2, 2015, have not heard back. The company recently asked the state for $18 to $20 million more for its work, according to the Iowa Department of Administrative Services.

"I don't think it's the contractor's fault. They've simply done what they were supposed to do," said Gayewski.

The price tag on the prison is now $166 million, $34 million more than what it was projected to be.

"Not only are the taxpayers affected but the 54 plus contractors that were on the job are affected," said Gayewski.

Gayewski says he has hired a lawyer to help him recover the money he says he is owed.

 

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