Suffolk fights back against developer over MiamiCentral delays

Suffolk Construction is suing two subsidiaries of Florida East Coast Industries, alleging the developer failed to give an extension and increase the construction budget

Parkline at MiamiCentral and Suffolk CEO John Fish (Credit: Suffolk, iStock)
Parkline at MiamiCentral and Suffolk CEO John Fish (Credit: Suffolk, iStock)

UPDATED, Nov. 12, 2:18 p.m.: Lawsuits continue to mount at MiamiCentral over construction delays.

A month after Suffolk Construction Company and others reached a multimillion-dollar settlement over construction issues at MiamiCentral, the construction company is suing the development group.

Suffolk Construction is suing two subsidiaries of Florida East Coast Industries, alleging the development group failed to give Suffolk an extension and increase the construction budget at the MiamiCentral apartment project, despite weather delays.

Suffolk Construction alleges the two subsidiaries of FECI breached their contract by refusing to increase the costs and timeline of the Parkline apartment project which it is currently building above the MiamiCentral station.

The complaint alleges inclement weather caused multiple delays with the project. It does not specify how the weather impacted the project or if the weather referred to was Hurricane Irma.

Florida East Coast Industries general counsel Kolleen Cobb did not immediately return a request for comment. Suffolk Construction’s lawyer Ira Libanoff also did not return a call seeking comment, while Suffolk Construction declined to comment through a spokesperson.

The lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, comes after Suffolk Construction, Virgin Trains USA and the structural engineering firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill settled a lawsuit in October for $10.5 million over delays at the station component of the MiamiCentral mixed-use project.

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In August, Facchina Construction of Florida, the project’s now-defunct general contractor, filed a lawsuit over construction issues pertaining to the office component of the project.

After Shorenstein Properties purchased the 2 MiamiCentral and 3 MiamiCentral office buildings in May for $159.4 million, Facchina Construction of Florida sued a Shorenstein affiliate for nonpayment of $4.3 million in construction work that was allegedly completed in 2016.

FECI is the parent company to Virgin Trains USA, the high-speed rail formerly known as Brightline, with stops in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Last year, Richard Branson’s Virgin Group announced a strategic partnership with the rail line.

The two-tower Parkline project sits on top of a three-story parking structure above the MiamiCentral station. The North tower consists of 30 stories with 350 units, while the South tower consists of 33 stories with 466 units. The project will total 930,779 square feet.

Amenities include a 105,000-square-foot amenity deck, two fenced-in dog parks, a running track, a CrossFit lawn, grill stations, resort and lap pools, cabanas, a movie wall and lounge area, according to Suffolk Construction’s website.

Boston-based Suffolk Construction is one of the largest contractors in South Florida. Its projects have included Jade Signature in Sunny Isles Beach, the Bristol in West Palm Beach and CityPlace at Doral.

Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified the plaintiff in a lawsuit regarding Shorenstein Properties.