Original article from The Indianapolis Star
By John Fritze

A principle contractor working on the $102 million central library expansion has been barred from the project for "grossly defective work," and a new firm is being sought to repair extensive structural damage at the site, library officials said Friday.

The problems, officials said, include cracked beams intended to support the weight of a new six story addition-a defect that has halted work on the city's largest public project and raised the specter of a legal battle. 

Library officials have suspended the contractor responsible for overseeing the concrete work, Ohio based Shook Construction, and are considering canceling the firm's $6.9 million contract, according to the documents requested by The Indianapolis Star.

"Are there going to be some delays associated with these problems? Yes," said the library's lawyer, E. Scott Treadway, "Do I know the extent of those delays? No."

Work on the expansion of the Indianapolis-Marion County public library's central library, 40 E. St. Clair St., was expected to be done by 2006, but the erection of the additions frame has been halted for at least six weeks. Now, the library must find a company to repair the problem.