One year has passed since the Sully-Miller Contracting Co. filed a $2 million breach-of-contract suit against Arcadia, claiming the City illegally terminated it from the Downtown 2000 project.
The city is fighting against paying an additional $400,000 in legal costs to Sully-Miller's attorney for the Downtown 2000 project in which the city cancelled the contract with Sully-Miller and settled for $1.25 million.
Downtown 2000, the redevelopment project that has served as a lightning rod for discontent at City Hall, received an Award of Excellence this week from the California Redevelopment Association.
The City Council and the company originally hired for downtown street improvements are on collision course with a lawsuit. Each side says the other may be in breach of contract.
City officials determined that Sulley-Miller is in gross violation of the Downtown 2000 project. In a unanimous vote, city officials terminated this company as contractor for the project.
Downtown 2000: is the CFRP making a difference? In 1993, Arcadia City Council and the Redevelopment agency implemented the Comprehensive Revitalization Strategy and Program, a project designed to bring a new economic vitality to the downtown district. One of the main components of the program is the Commercial Facade Rehabilitation Program (CFRP), which provides financial assistance to downtown merchants for store-front improvements. Garlan Roberson received $11,000 from the Arcadia Redevelopment Agency for improvements to his business, Sullivan's Paints. Since the facade improvements, Roberson says business has increased significantly.
The $4.1 million Downtown 2000 plan will restore the area along Huntington Drive from Santa Clara to 5th Avenue, as well as on 1st Ave. The project should start in June and be completed by the fall racing season.
Arcadia City Council may declare the Downtown 2000 construction project a potential health emergency in order to suspend it's contract with striking workers and hire another firm to do the work until the strike is over.
The Arcadia City Council plans to seek more than $1 million in damages against its original contractor for cost overruns in the City's Downtown 2000 revitalization project.
City Council approved lending the city redevelopment agency $1.2 million Tuesday to cover additional cost overruns with Downtown 2000 and other projects.
PETA and City of Arcadia reach deal over coyote plan. Group had sued after city planned to start trap-and-kill program. Arcadia will pay $15,000 to settle the lawsuit that contended the city council approved the contract without an environmental report mandated by the California Environmental Quality Act. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1, 10, July 6, 2017.
Downtown 2000, the $4 million revitalization project, will primarily affect Huntington Drive and First Ave. Huntington Drive will have more landscaping and lighting, while First Ave. will have angled parking and landscaping to be more pedestrian oriented.
The revamped downtown debuts today with new streets, sidewalks, benches, palm trees and an all-day street fair. This marks the completion of the Downtown 2000 construction project.
Arcadia City Council voted 4-0 in favor of searching for a temporary contractor for the Downtown 2000 project. Striking workers have caused delays and fears of future health problems.