The construction of a 179,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Tampa, Florida left four contractors seeking millions in unpaid construction work, according to the Hillsborough County clerk’s office.
Construction of the Tampa Fulfillment Center, which was completed in October 2020, resulted in four unpaid construction work claims — known as mechanics liens — worth $2.1 million against the property. The claimant contractors include the project’s general contractor, two subcontractors, and a material supplier.
As of January 18, 2021, one lien has been released, and one has been amended to reflect a new payment balance.
The project, which is owned and operated by KR Tampa Clark Street 2019 (d/b/a Keating Resources), broke ground in the summer of 2019.
General contractor Premier Design + Build Group holds the largest unpaid mechanics lien claim to date, valued at $1.3 million against KR Tampa Clark Street 2019.
Two subcontractors — Concrete Structures and B&I Contractors — have also placed two liens worth a combined $424,525.94 against the GC at the Tampa Fulfillment Center project — one of which has been reduced.
The fourth lien, originally placed by material supplier CEMEX Construction Materials Florida against Concrete Structures, has since been released.
A mechanics lien, often referred to as a construction lien, can be filed by contractors that are left unpaid on projects. Liens are used as a debt-recovery tool for contractors: They attach to the property title of the serviced project, which can hinder the property owner from selling or refinancing while the claim is active.
Each mechanic lien claim was filed pursuant to Florida mechanics lien statutes, which grants claimants up to one year to foreclose on a mechanics lien.
A lien foreclosure involves a lawsuit filing, which could potentially lead to the forced sale of the property in order to satisfy the unpaid work claim.
The 178,387-square-foot Tampa Fulfillment Center is known as a class A commercial distribution center, as stated on Premier Design + Build Group’s project page. The building includes six main tenant units, ranging in size from 28,000 square feet to nearly 32,000 square feet. There are also 40 dock-high doors at the Tampa Fulfillment Center, along with over 300 on-site parking spaces.
Four liens filed against fulfillment center, one released
General contractor Premier Design + Build Group and two subcontractors are still owed for the construction of the Tampa Fulfillment Center, located at 101 South 34th Street, Tampa, FL.
Premier Design + Build Group’s lien of $1,361,968 was the latest claim to be filed on December 23, 2020. The GC last serviced the project on October 2, 2020.
The second-largest lien was filed directly against the GC, valued at $402,990.94 from subcontractor Concrete Structures on September 25, 2020. Concrete Structures’ lien affidavit states the subcontractor’s contract was worth $3.58 million. The subcontractor serviced the property between August 2018 and September 2020. As of January 18, 2021, the lien has been amended to a remaining unpaid balance of $70,349.46.
B&I Contractors filed a lien claim against Premier Design + Build Group on October 22, 2020, valued at $21,535. The subcontractor’s contract was valued at $215,000, according to the lien affidavit.
Additionally, one of the four initial liens against the fulfillment center has been released. On September 15, 2020, material supplier CEMEX Construction Materials Florida filed a lien worth $332,641.58 against Concrete Structures. The subcontractor’s lien affidavit states they provided “materials consisting of ready mix concrete and/or concrete masonry units” to the project after agreeing to a contract worth $570,000. This lien was released on December 22, 2020.