Lawsuits over unpaid bills cast shadow on Lucas Museum's public-works status
Contractors suing the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art for unpaid work argue the project should be treated as a public work because of a nominal 99-year land lease at $30 per year and extensive public benefits; the museum and its backers say it is privately funded with no public debt. The lawsuits, including Snyder Electric against the museum and its contractors, raise questions about payment bonds and California public-contract rules as the museum prepares for its Sept. 22 opening in Exposition Park.