Frustrated architect returns to job

His brief resignation was a blow to St. Pete Beach's city hall project, which sits under a cloud of threatened lawsuits.

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 24, 2000

ST. PETE BEACH -- After 3 1/2 hours of persuading by the city manager and mayor, architect Mike Russell is back on board as the city's "advocate" in overseeing the developers of a new city hall.

Russell said Friday he has begun an intensive review of the developer's specification changes and cost increases that prompted his resignation last week. He has asked the city to schedule an "all day" meeting with developer Paul Skipper in early January to review the building plans and resolve any questions or disputes.

"This process will allow us to make judgments that things are as they should be. I will then make a joint presentation to the City Council and the advisory committee. Hopefully both parties can sign off on the updated and revised documents," Russell said.

Threatened lawsuits and a state attorney's investigation into the city's handling of the project had made Russell "increasingly uncomfortable."

"My frustration was pretty self-evident," Russell said Friday. "I withdrew. When there is a lack of information and an escalation of controversy to this degree, it's frustrating. But I don't want to dwell on that. I'm now on board and pretty positive about the outcome."

"We came to an understanding regarding his perspective and our perspective on the project," said City Manager Carl Schwing who, with Mayor Ward Friszolowski, talked to Russell on Wednesday. "Our goal is to accomplish the building of a new city hall."

At issue was Skipper's delays in submitting all design and permit documents for Russell's review. Some documents indicated Skipper had changed original quality specifications.

Skipper and the city have a design/build agreement to erect a $2.8-million city hall at the foot of Corey Causeway on land that Skipper will donate to the city. The arrangement is unusual in that the job was not put out for bidding. The project is the second-most expensive in the city's history.

The cost apparently has grown. Most recent documents put the price at $3.08-million, though Russell doesn't know why. A Times estimate from earlier this year included finance charges and put the figure at closer to $4-million.

Russell stressed that he has not reached any conclusions about the increased costs but said that he doesn't expect to find major problems or issues that can not be resolved.

"The assumption is that we will be able to go forward with the project," he said.

Russell's brief resignation was the latest in a series of blows to the city hall project.

At the request of several residents, the State Attorney's Office is investigating the relationship between the city and Skipper. The city's police department has asked the state attorney to conduct a separate investigation into the commission-appointed City Hall Advisory Committee's actions and possible Sunshine Law violations in writing a letter that criticized the developer. In turn, Skipper has threatened to sue each of the six members who signed the letter.

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