By Sylvia Maria Gross
Kansas City, MO – The museums at 18th and Vine opened their doors just about nine years ago, but a local contractor who scrambled to finish some of the last minute construction projects is still waiting to get paid. Rick Gill started out as self-employed carpenter. By the 1990s, he owned one of the Kansas City's largest minority construction firms and had almost a hundred employees. He won several awards from minority and Hispanic business associations. Gill never got paid after the work he did on the museums from 1996 to 1997, and his company eventually went bankrupt. Gill sued the 18th and Vine Authority, and in 2002, was awarded about 2 million dollars. But he has yet to see the money, and goes to court again next week, alleging that the city fraudulently shifted the 18th and Vine's assets to avoid the payment.
Kansas City Star business reporter Dan Margolies has been following the story; he spoke to KCUR's Sylvia Maria Gross.