One of two contractors named in a lawsuit brought by the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance is firing back at the institution, saying his company, Vertix Builders, was “blindsided” by the zoo’s claims about faulty workmanship.
Ted Laszlo, the president of Denver-based Vertix, said he had been negotiating with the zoo for months, with offers to fix problems associated with a $19 million sea lion habitat that was completed last year and opened in June. In fact, he said he believes the zoo still owes the company and 25 of its subcontractors $800,000 for their work
“The exhibit opened 10 months ago, and we’re still waiting to get paid, so unfortunately our response will have to come with a counterclaim,” Laszlo told The Denver Post on Thursday. “These are not change orders or amounts in dispute. These are agreed-upon sums owed to Vertix and our subcontractors.”
The zoo filed suit on March 17, alleging that Vertix and Barker Rinker Seacast Architecture (BRS) breached their contract by providing substandard work and materials that have led to leaks, rust and broken pumps in the Schlossman Shores habitat, which is home to five California sea lions. The zoo is seeking unspecified damages in Denver District Court.
Zoo officials said the money owed to Vertix is being withheld for the reasons laid out in the lawsuit — namely, Vertix’s alleged unwillingness to fix its mistakes.
“As stated in the complaint, under the contract, DZCA may withhold or offset any amount due to Vertix if Vertix refuses to correct its work — which is what has occurred here,” zoo spokesman Jake Kubié said. “It is imperative that the sea lion habitat be built in a manner that will stand the test of time.”
Vertix has worked on multiple projects at the zoo since 2020, starting with an African penguin exhibit that greets visitors at the entrance. Laszlo said. The company has also built or worked on a flamingo habitat, an African crane exhibit, and the renovation of Lighthouse Pizza (now Cafe Costa). One of its most high-profile contracts was the $7.8 million, open-air Down Under wallaby and kangaroo habitat, which opened in 2024.
Zoo officials acknowledged those projects, but drew a distinction between those and the current one.
“Each project stands on its own and is built with different project managers and subcontractors. DZCA has not sued Vertix on other projects at this time,” Kubié said. “This lawsuit is not about past projects; itap about this one, and the items that need to be corrected for the benefit of the sea lions.”
As a longtime donor, Laszlo said Vertix is ultimately a supporter of the zoo’s conservation and education mission, which makes the organization’s lawsuit even stranger to him. In the days leading up to the suit, he said Vertix’s vice president, Brady McQuinn, met with acting zoo CEO Cristal Torres DeHerrera, “and we thought we had a solution to the issues they presented.”
He added that “we stand by the exhibit. … It’s fantastic, and anybody who visits can see it’s a high-quality exhibit.”
