NEW YORK CITY—Forest City
Ratner Cos. is taking Skanska USA Building, Inc. to court. The developer is
suing the contractor for “Skanska’s multiple failures and missteps as the
construction manager” for B2 BKLYN, the planned first modular building at
Pacific Park Brooklyn (formerly Atlantic Yards). The claim comes on the heels
of Skanska stopping work on the project last week after its
dispute with FCR reached an impasse.
Filed in New York State
Supreme Court, the legal filing seeks damages and declaratory relief from
Skanska. The suit alleges that Skanska “lacked the skill, experience and
diligence to complete the project in accordance with the promised schedule and
price.”
As a result of the delays,
according to the lawsuit, FCR’s construction lender temporarily stopped
advancing funds on its loan and the developer wound up funding the project from
its own coffers. The company is asking the court for repayment both of damages
it has incurred as well as those it will incur in the future.
Says FCRC president and CEO
MaryAnne Gilmartin, “Our priority is to reopen our factory and put the
employees that Skanska wrongfully furloughed back to work so we can resume
construction on B2. Skanska’s unilateral action has barred construction
from continuing, and this lawsuit is the first of many steps we intend to take
to get this building moving again.”
Skanska AB, the parent
company of Skanska USA Building, has also filed suit, according to Bloomberg,
claiming Forest City changed construction plans for the tower in violation of a
contract. Skanska did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
The dispute has no impact on
the three building starts Forest City Ratner announced earlier this year at
Pacific Park, the company notes. Further, Forest City’s partner in those
buildings – Greenland USA – is not involved in the construction of B2 and is
not a party to this dispute.
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