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Midway through Pier demolition, contractor faces legal, job-related challenges

 
Crews from Sonny Glasbrenner Inc. of Clearwater have demolished much of the inverted pyramid structure of the St. Petersburg Pier.
Crews from Sonny Glasbrenner Inc. of Clearwater have demolished much of the inverted pyramid structure of the St. Petersburg Pier.
Published Oct. 27, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG — The company hired in the city's $3.2 million demolition of the Pier is the target of a lawsuit filed this month that claims it failed to pay a subcontractor on three other jobs and that it bounced a check.

Sonny Glasbrenner Inc. of Clearwater was sued by Harris Ventures, a staffing company based in Georgia. Filed in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court, the suit alleges that Glasbrenner owed Harris Ventures $151,886 and tried to make a partial payment of $52,660, but the check bounced.

The company's troubles haven't been confined to the courthouse. Last week's high winds destroyed a $15,000 turbidity barrier meant to keep demolition debris from floating into Tampa Bay. Pieces of plastic foam, large and small, have floated along downtown's shore ever since.

Pate Clements, Glasbrenner's president, downplayed both difficulties.

Asked about the lawsuit, Clements replied Monday that it was "part of doing business."

"There are no hard feelings between us and the vendor," Clements said. "This was a late payment by a contractor and we have been paid and that vendor has been paid and the lien has been released."

Specifically, he said, the more than $80,000 owed for a job at Muvico in Ybor City has been paid and the construction lien lifted. Pinellas County records show, however, that another lien for $49,678 related to work at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater is still in place. The remaining $22,000 mentioned in the lawsuit is tied to work on Glasbrenner's property, Clements said. Negotiations are ongoing concerning the bills for the two Pinellas County jobs, he said.

Tom Gibson, the city's interim public works administrator, said the city has so far paid Glasbrenner $380,111 for the Pier demolition, which is scheduled to be complete in February. Gibson said the city does not expect Glasbrenner's financial issues to hamper the Pier project.

Clements said his company is not using Harris Ventures to staff the Pier demolition and that the project is on schedule. Work with the high reach excavator used to demolish the inverted pyramid had to be put on hold for a few days last week because of the winds, he said.

Andrea Wagner, a sustainability and project management major at St. Petersburg College, said she is upset about the pieces of foam she has spotted during daily walks along the waterfront in the past week.

"It saddens me," Wagner said. "Styrofoam is not biodegradable."

On Monday afternoon she briefly tethered her German shepherd Thadon to the Pier approach and kicked off her flip flops to retrieve a large piece of foam on Spa Beach. Later, she pointed to the film of tiny pieces coating the surface water in front of the Dalí Museum.

Clements said his workers have been scooping up as much of the debris as they can. No sawing will be done until the turbidity barrier is replaced.

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The inverted pyramid should be down at the end of next week, he said.

Times researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this article. Contact Waveney Ann Moore at wmoore@tampabay.com or (727) 892-2283. Follow @wmooretimes.