The Florida A&M Developmental Research School faced interruptions in their new recreation fields’ construction due to pending payments to workers.
The project, which includes the assembly of new fields and courts for students enjoy football, baseball, softball, track, tennis and basketball has come to a halt.
The construction was scheduled for completion last year; however, work has stopped, and after four months, work has yet to resume, for the approximately 30 vacant acres.
Glenn Cutts, owner of Concrete Plus of Central Fla., Inc.. in Frostproof, Fla., said he has taken legal actions because the situation almost took him out of business and made him lose close to $1 million.
David Self, an attorney representing FAMU, stated that the university selects and pays a general contractor for its projects. However, it is the general contractor responsibility to pay any additional sub-contractors.
“FAMU is not being sued, the surety is being sued, ” said Self. Self explained that Calvin Barber, the owner of Barber Construction Services, Inc., is in default of his contract, not the university.
Self also said Texas company Sure-Tec Insurance Co., the bonding agency that has confirmed Barber, is being sued by Cutts.
FAMU officials awarded Barber, the winning bid for the project and was hired as a sub-contractor.
Patricia Clore, the owner of Tallahassee City Concrete Construction Company, Inc., stated that she sent President Ammons a certified letter and received calls back about an unpaid balance. Clores company built a retaining wall on the property, but she did not receive the remaining balance of approximately $100,000.
Darvon Wilson, 21, a third-year computer information systems student from Detroit, said he’s empathetic for students who will remain without their playing field until the issue is resolved.
“Students won’t have any extracurricular activities and that will force them to go to the gym, then it will get over crowded,” Wilson said.
Tallahassee citizens have become concerned with the happenings at DRS. A concerned citizen, Jeff Dotson, 20, said he thinks the whole ordeal is ridiculous.
“They should do better,” Dotson said. “Now the kids and parents have to make other plans to participate in extracurricular sports because they do not have their own.”
The respective parties will be meeting this week in a tentative meeting to resolve the issue.