Sausalito Firm Withdraws from Plaza Project, Files Suit

April Philips Design Works (APDW) of Sausalito, Calif., a Bay Area landscape architectural firm, has filed suit in the U.S. District Court in Reno to prevent the city and its architecture firm?EUR??,,????'??+Sheehan-Van Woert-Bigotti Architects (SVWBA) of Reno, Nevada?EUR??,,????'??+from using its landscape designs for the plaza on the former grounds of the Mapes Hotel in Reno.

The architectural firm contends that April Philips Design Works was not the sole firm contributing to the designs.

The historic hotel, built along the Truckee River, was razed four years ago. The Reno City Council approved plans for a plaza in October 2002. Construction of the plaza was scheduled to begin September 2004.

It?EUR??,,????'???s reported that Philips and SVWBA haggled over the financial agreement. APDW left the project and took its copyrighted designs. The city is also named in the suit.

Mike Rounds, a lawyer for April Philips Design Works, told the Reno Gazette ?EUR??,,????'??things came to a head on compensation?EUR??,,????'??? and advised SVWB and the city that they could not use our designs and drawings for the project.?EUR??,,????'??

Philips told the Reno Gazette that ?EUR??,,????'??SVWB was not adequately managing the project.?EUR??,,????'??