Firm behind Miami Beach Convention Center renovation sues city
As Miami Beach continues to welcome crowds of NFL fans to its signature convention center ahead of the Super Bowl, the construction firm behind its $620 million renovation is using the building’s time in the limelight to draw attention to claims that the city owes more than $70 million in outstanding fees.
Clark Construction Group filed a lawsuit against the city of Miami Beach on Wednesday, claiming that the city “refused to provide compensation” to the Bethesda, Maryland, firm and its subcontractors or provide time extensions for extra work done following design changes to the convention center project.
Hill International, a city consultant, is also listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, which was filed in MiamiDade Circuit Court.
In a statement, city manager Jimmy Morales said he was surprised by the lawsuit, but would not “litigate this through the newspapers.”
“I find it shocking, given that Clark Construction has delayed this project for nearly 1.5 years and has yet to finish, that they have the gall to file a lawsuit against us,” he said. “Frankly, the city is the one entitled to damages, not Clark.”
Clark Construction and the city entered into an agreement in 2015 to renovate and expand the convention center.
In its lawsuit, the firm said the city and Hill International “mismanaged the design process.” Even after the scheduled date of substantial completion on Aug. 23, 2018, the city continued changing design plans and refusing to provide time extensions for the work, the lawsuit states.
The convention center has hosted 92 events since construction began, including 52 since 2018. The facility is the site of the Super Bowl Experience event and media center for credentialed journalists.
Clark Construction said the city pressured workers to speed up construction to allow for already-booked events to go on as planned. The firm and its subcontractors were not paid for their extra work, the lawsuit claims.
“After attempting to reach resolution for more than one year, Clark is very disappointed to arrive at this juncture, but must take this necessary step to protect itself and its subcontractors, many of which are local,” the firm said in a statement. “The completion of the Convention Center is a point of pride for Clark and the residents of the
City, and we look forward to a swift resolution so that Clark and its subcontractors can finally be paid for their hard work.”
The renovation added 263,000 square feet of space to the convention center. The facility’s total footprint now stands at 1.43 million square feet. Its exhibition space is 500,000 square feet.
Martin Vassolo: 305-376-2071, martindvassolo