[URY914]

The contractors and architect PPOT members should see this one. This is a horrible story that happend here in the Tampa area. Now the victim is suing the architect and contractor. Seems she got out of the car to put her books in the drop box which led to her attack. This design allowed her to be raped. I would be willing to bet the drop was the thru-the-wall type and not a stand alone box. I would also be willing to bet that the thru-the-wall drop off is mandated by the County's own library design criteria. Once again- anyone can sue for anything.



Bloomingdale library rape victim sues architect, contractor
By HOWARD ALTMAN | The Tampa Tribune
Published: November 23, 2011
Updated: November 23, 2011 - 3:42 PM
TAMPA --
The family of the East Bay high school student who was brutally beaten and raped outside the Bloomingdale Regional Library in April 2008, is suing the companies that designed and built the facility where the attack occurred.

The victim, who was 17 at the time, suffered brain damage in the attack, is blind, and can't eat, walk or stand up without help. In the suit filed Nov. 14 in Hillsborough County, her family says the design and construction of the library, built in 2005, contributed to the attack.

The suit names Angle & Schmid Inc. of Largo, the general contractor, and FleischmanGarcia architects and planners of Tampa as defendants.

At issue is the design of the after-hours book drop – requiring patrons to exit their vehicles and walk to the after-hours container -- where Kendrick Morris first approached the victim.

The suit accuses FleischmanGarcia Architects and Planners of "negligent design, planning and construction" by creating "a latent hazard constituting an undue risk of harm."

The suit makes a similar accusation against Angle & Schmid, saying the general contractor "had a duty to evaluate and adequately assess the risks posed by the construction and mode of operation of the after-hours book drop so as to avoid any latent hazards" and "risk of harm" to those using the book-drop.

Bob Angle, president of Angle & Schmid, said his company is not responsible for the design.

"We built it exactly as shown on the documents," he said. "The architect determines how it should be done. Any design flaw someone feels was in that building, which may have somehow allowed some sort of hidden condition to exist allowing someone to commit a crime, is outside the realm of our responsibility."

A call to FleischmanGarcia was not immediately returned.

Morris was convicted in October 2010 of two counts of sexual battery and single counts of kidnapping and aggravated battery.

The plaintiffs are seeking in excess of $15,000 from each company.