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Claim over construction of cold-storage warehouse at Tampa port lands in court

 
Published Sept. 28, 2018

TAMPA — Port Tampa Bay's new refrigerated warehouse has been receiving bananas, limes, mangos and, most recently, pineapples, but one subcontractor on the project says it has yet to see all of the fruits of its labor.

Canco General Contractors of Lakeland sued the main contractor, Batson-Cook, this month in Hillsborough Circuit Court.

Canco says it furnished and erected a pre-engineered metal refrigeration building at the 134,000-square-foot project. It contends it's still owed $527,829.

The general manager of Batson-Cook's Tampa office said Friday Canco's contract was for about $1.47 million. It has been paid all of that except for $27,000 in retainage.

At the end of the project, Canco claimed it was also owed for additional work in the field, delay costs and equipment rental associated with the delay, Batson-Cook senior vice president Conn Crabtree said.

Canco had a subcontractor lined up to do part of the work, then incurred costs when that sub backed out, Crabtree said.

But he said Canco and Batson-cook probably have done a half-dozen jobs together successfully, have a good relationship and had a productive meeting this week to discuss their differences.

"We're working toward a resolution that hopefully will not involve further legal action," he said.

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Contact Richard Danielson at rdanielson@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3403. Follow @Danielson_Times