COLUMBIA, S.C. — On Tuesday night, the Richland One school board voted unanimously to suspend the contract with the construction company hired to build the Vince Ford Early Learning Center.
"The administration requests authority to negotiate and execute changes to the agreement terms with contract construction. Including but not limited to; temporary suspension of the contract to preserve resources and decrease costs to taxpayers," said Dr. Tiffany Richardson, General Counsel for Richland One.
Several community members came out to Hand Middle School for Tuesday's meeting to hear more about the plans for the Vince Ford Early Learning Center, including Charles Scriven.
Scriven lives right behind the construction site and says his yard and home have been flooded a few times now due to the retention pond changes and the removal of trees.
"We are a retirement area and have a lot of elderly individuals there. They don't have the additional income to constantly make repairs for something that they had no input in whatsoever," Scriven said.
The construction site has been quiet since January 18, due to an investigation into the project by the South Carolina Department of Education and the Office of the Inspector General.
While the project has sat idle, it has cost the district roughly $2,200 per day for the last 68 days, totaling approximately $149,600.
WLTX reached out to the State Department of Education for any updates on the Inspector General's investigation and was told no updates could be given during an open investigation.
State Representative Heather Bauer, who initially called for the investigation, also commented saying although she can not comment on what the Inspector General is doing, she can say the Office of the Inspector General is taking all submissions regarding the Vince Ford Early Learning Center, 'very seriously'.