Sea lions at the Denver Zoo got a new home last year, and they aren’t happy.
At least their caretakers have taken issue with the new salt water pool and its environs. A Firestone company is among those that the zoo has challenged in court over the construction.
The Denver Zoological Foundation Inc. has filed a lawsuit over Firestone-based Vertix Builders Inc.’s construction of the new sea lion habitat along with project architect Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture PC, based in Denver.
Vertix, which specializes in cultural and health-care facilities, has conducted other work at the Denver Zoo, including the African Penguin Point Habitat, located immediately inside the zoo’s main gate, and the flamingo exhibit, among others. Vertix has been named Contractor of the Year three times by the Subcontractor Association of Colorado.
In 2022, the zoo contracted with the Barker firm and Vertix to rebuild the sea lion habitat. The zoo alleges in its lawsuit that the architectural firm and contractor provided faulty designs and substandard work that resulted in rusting, failure to build to contracted size, water seepage, nonfunctional sump pumps, cracking on beaches, and other deficiencies.
The lawsuit contends that the companies failed to correct the deficient work. It asks for a judgment in its favor and damages to be determined at trial. The lawsuit was filed March 17.
Ted Laszlo, president and co-founder of Vertix, told BizWest that the company felt blindsided by the lawsuit.
“We would never challenge these (deficiency complaints). We met with them, went over the issues, and we were willing to address them, and we thought we had an agreement. Two days later, the lawsuit was filed,” Laszlo said.
The zoo still owes Vertix a retainage of $800,000, and the exhibit has been open since June, he said.
Laszlo said the deficiencies cited are largely minor and can easily be fixed. “This was a freshwater exhibit and it was converted to a saltwater environment,” he said. “If it isn’t maintained, it’ll rust, and maintenance has to be done by the zoo.”
Laszlo said Vertix has had an exceptional relationship with the zoo. “We have valued the Denver Zoo as a partner for the past six years. We completed many great exhibits. I’d still work with them; there’s a lot of great people there.”
The case is Denver Zoological Foundation Inc. v. Vertix Builders Inc. and Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture PC, case number 2026cv30952, filed March 17, 2026, in Denver District Court.
