Children’s museum contract subject of dispute

BANGOR – The Trenton-based company that built the exhibits for this city’s Maine Discovery Museum announced this week that, because of an estimated $1 million loss on the project, it would lay off 17 workers.

Steve Shelton, owner of Display Concepts Inc., said Thursday that his company has been put in financial straits because of its involvement in what he had initially estimated to be a $1.14 million project.

“Basically, we built this wonderful thing for Bangor and a Hancock County company is suffering because of it,” said Shelton, who called upon museum officials to release the additional $300,000 agreed upon to help cover the contractor’s costs.

Museum officials have already paid Display Concepts the originally agreed upon price of $1.14 million, but in January agreed to pay the company the additional $300,000 upon the project’s completion – which Shelton acknowledged Thursday had not yet occurred.

“We’re very happy with the work that Display Concepts has done for us and … we are going to pay them $300,000 more,” said Alan Comeau, president of the museum’s board of directors. “But the business contract states very clearly that they have to finish the job, and as soon as they complete the project, we’ll be happy to pay them.”

Museum officials estimate that crews have yet to complete about $44,000 worth of work, including an outdoor clock, a beaver lodge and a donor board.

Shelton said he asked museum officials to deduct that amount from the $300,000, so he could pay back some of what Display Concepts borrowed from the Finance Authority of Maine to finish the project.

Unable to repay the loan on time without the extra money, he said, FAME has since fined Display Concepts $15,000 and tacked on $2,500 in interest, according to Shelton.

Shelton estimated that his company ultimately put about $2.5 million in billable hours into the museum, which opened in February and since has drawn tens of thousands of people to the city.

“I’m the biggest donor to that place,” Shelton said Thursday.

Just a month before the museum’s scheduled opening, however, board members were caught off guard, they said, when Shelton asked for additional money to complete the project.

After lengthy negotiations, the board – acknowledging the high quality of the project and wanting the museum to open on time – agreed upon the $300,000 figure to initially provide collateral for Display Concept’s FAME loan and help offset the contractor’s costs.

But, taken by surprise once, museum officials opted this time to honor the agreement to the letter and pay the contractor the extra money once the job is finished, they said.