PALM HARBOR, Fla. — After 10 Tampa Bay’s coverage into mounting frustration over lengthy construction delays, Pinellas County is terminating its contracts with the construction company at the center of it.
At the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, commissioners unanimously voted to nix contracts with Miami-based American Empire Builders, saying they’ve failed to complete the work to replace the Crosswinds Bridge in Palm Harbor and Oakwood Drive Bridge in Harbor Bluffs.
“The county is disappointed at both the timing and the quality of the contractor’s work," read Commissioner Kathleen Peters, Chair of the Pinellas County BOCC. "We have an obligation to protect the interests of our citizens and have engaged appropriate counsel to prosecute a claim against the contractor and their surety."
County leaders did not comment much more than that, signaling a potential legal battle on the horizon to recoup some of the money spent on the multi-million-dollar projects.
“We hope that our citizens understand that we are aggressively seeking to either resolve or litigate this matter in the very near future," Peters said. "Rest assured, we have heard your complaints and your frustration, and we want you to know that your board has an absolute agreement that the performance and the conduct of this contractor has been and continues to be unacceptable.”
Frustrated neighbors in Palm Harbor’s Baywood Village first reached out to 10 Tampa Bay with concerns over the lengthy delays and piles of debris that were left in their neighborhood. The 18-month-long project to replace two bridges in the area has gone on for years, and they say the county’s action is a welcome step in the right direction.
“We have faith that the county can restore this community to its prior beauty,” said Annetta Speicher, who lives near the Crosswinds Bridge.
The county believes work at the Crosswinds Bridge is nearly complete and could be finished by county staff in the coming weeks. No timetable for when exactly, but the county says the first phase will include a clean-up of the site.
Neighbors say 10 Tampa Bay’s coverage had an impact in getting the ball rolling.
“There’s been a lot of work by our residents, there's been a lot of work by you guys," said Graham Jankura who lives near the Crosswinds Bridge. "I’ve said it before, thank you 10 Tampa Bay for coming out, supporting us because we really felt like [our concerns] were falling on deaf ears."
The path forward for the Oakwood Drive Bridge is a little more complicated. The project was supposed to be finished by the end of last year, but the county says at this point roughly 30% of the job is complete. They say it's likely another engineering assessment is necessary and then the job will have to go out for bid again.
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The two projects aren’t the only local ones the contractor is under fire for, delays have also stricken two other bridge replacement jobs in St. Petersburg. Right now, the city of St. Pete and FDOT who are overseeing the projects say they are working with the surety companies to find a path forward.