ST. CLOUD, Fla. – The city of St. Cloud is now taking legal action against the construction company that built phase two of the city’s downtown revitalization project.
In a release, the city said the company Cathcart Construction left behind potholes and large gaps in between the bricks.
Residents said the roads are bumpy to drive down, and some business owners said the roads are a safety issue.
“It’s not good. It’s rough,” said St. Cloud resident Gary Archer. “It’s like the old streets that are in the country, you know, with potholes and all that and uneven roads.”
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The city hired Cathcart Construction to build phase two of the renovation project, which includes new utility infrastructure, new sidewalks, brick streets, and decorative lighting on Pennsylvania Avenue and 10th Street.
Recently, the city council approved City Attorney Dan Mantzaris to bring in litigation attorney Tom Neal to help the city pursue legal action against the contractor.
“It’s quite a project and very, very, very disappointing on how it turned out,” Archer said.
Lesly Dormini owns a boutique called 34 Fireflies on Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown St. Cloud. She said she’s worried the possibility of more construction would mean another hit to her business.
“I just signed another three-year lease, and now, to hear that that part of that could be the same that I dealt with for the first three-year lease, it’s scary,” Dormini said. “It really is. It’s just — it’s frustrating. It’s disheartening. I know, for people to even drive down the streets, you hear, you know, so much about the bumpiness and the I mean, this is our sweet little downtown, and the business owners are doing nothing but trying to build it up.”
In the release, Assistant City Manager, Dave Tomek, said:
“We understand the public’s frustration; we are not satisfied with the results either, By virtue of City Council authorizing us to bring in a litigation specialist, it is clear that the City is committed to doing whatever it takes to make this situation right and to ensure the finished product is one we can all be proud of.”
Dave Tomek
News 6 reached out to Cathcart Construction for a statement, but a representative on the phone declined to comment.
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