The supervising architect urges the contractor to take steps to finish on time.
By ANNE LINDBERG
Published May 26, 2004
PINELLAS PARK - The architect overseeing construction of the faux train station on Park Boulevard has warned the contractor in a letter about falling behind schedule.
"We are concerned that with the current manpower and amount of work remaining, you will not meet your completion date," David Ashton of Harvard Jolly architects wrote to Angle Schmid, the contractor.
The new facility at 5851 Park Blvd. will house the Pinellas Park/Mid-County Chamber of Commerce and Art Society. Those organizations must leave Pinellas ParkSide mall by June 30. The razing of the mall is scheduled to begin the next day.
Ashton based his conclusion on a site visit. Of the 19 to 21 workers he saw at the site, there were four to six laborers, three painters, two carpet installers, two people working on drywall and two to three electricians.
But Ashton said the contractor is behind in several areas: landscaping, sidewalks, canopy copper roof, hydraulic elevator, exterior painting of canopy, interior finish paint, installation of doors, plumbing fixtures on the first floor, window sill and wood trim, and electric fixtures.
"The owner has based his move-in on your finish date and cannot alter his schedule," Ashton wrote. He asked for an updated schedule showing how the contractor planned to make up work that is behind and finish by June 30.
"While the owner has no desire to assess damages for not completing on time, they have none the less assured me they will take all necessary steps to insure the timely completion of this project," Ashton wrote.
Angle Schmid still plans to have most of the Park Station project finished by June 30, project manager George Tsitsakis said Tuesday. Some of the delay, he said, was caused by changes the city made after construction began.
But the main problem, he said, is a worldwide concrete shortage. City officials were warned about that earlier this month. It is unclear, he said, when the concrete for sidewalks and other parts of the project will be available. Those portions of the project may not be finished June 30, he said.
Pinellas Park spokesman Tim Caddell said city officials remain upbeat about the situation and are planning on moving things into the building by the end of June. The grand opening will be delayed, however, until late July.
