Fortis Property Group’s long-delayed Seaport condominium
project has another problem on its hands – it is “leaning” three inches to the
north.
Pizzarotti, the general contractor for the 58-story
development at 161 Maiden Lane, says the developer is to blame, Commercial
Observer reported.
In a lawsuit filed with New York County Supreme Court last
month, the company alleges that foundation work done by a previous contractor,
which used a cheaper “soil improvement” method to cut costs, is now causing
problems with the building’s structural integrity, facade, waterproofing and
elevators.
Fortis denies these allegations. “This lawsuit is patently
false from start to finish and nothing more than simple defamation and a
desperate attempt by a failing general contractor to divert attention from the
fact it defaulted on yet another New York City project,” a Fortis spokesperson
said in a statement to The Real Deal.
Though the contractor says it gave notice that it would
terminate its construction contract on March 1, the developer claims Pizzarotti
remained on site throughout the month of March, and that it was in fact Fortis
that sent Pizzarotti a notice of termination last week, before it had even
learned of the lawsuit.
“As two of the top engineering firms in the world, Arup and
WSP, have certified, there are no safety issues at the building and
construction can continue immediately,” the spokesperson said. “This is simply
a matter of a slight redesign of the building’s curtain wall, which is already
being installed by our new general contractor, Ray Builders.”
The Seaport tower was Italy-based Pizzarotti’s first luxury
tower of this size in the United States, though the company is also partnering
with Madison Equities on nearby 45 Broad Street.
The Seaport project has faced numerous delays, largely
related to the pouring of concrete slabs for the floors, which Fortis says
contributed to the alignment problems. Pizzarotti replaced the concrete
subcontractor SCC Concrete last year, after a worker fell to his death from the
29th floor. Pizzarotti tapped RC Structures to take over concrete work, and
that firm reported that there are “structural issues” causing the building to
lean three inches to the north, according to the complaint.
Last summer, Fortis and another general contractor, ICS
Builders, sued each other over a contract dispute involving the conversion of
part of the Long Island College Hospital at 350 Henry Street in Cobble Hill.
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