[A] Maine laboratory company is suing the Vermont-based PC Construction Co. in federal court claiming breach of contract over a $47 million construction and renovation job in Ellsworth, Maine.
The Jackson Laboratory claims in its complaint, filed Jan. 16, that it hired PC to do an expansion and renovation of a former retail facility and adjacent property. The complaint says PC agreed to a price of $47 million and a completion date in January 2018.
Completion of the project was seven months late because of problems with concrete floor slabs poured by PC and one of its subcontractors, the complaint said. Jackson Laboratory, which is based in Bar Harbor, Maine, is requesting a jury trial.
Crystal S. DelleChiaie, a spokesperson for the South Burlington-based PC Construction, declined to disclose any details about the case or the project.
“We are not able to comment on the specifics but what we can say is that we are disappointed by the news,” she said in an email on Monday. “In everything we do we strive to deliver a great product in close partnership with our clients. We hope to have this resolved quickly.”
The suit said PC is at fault for failing to promptly remediate the defects in the floor, and that the construction company did a poor job of managing the project.
“As a result of the delays in completing the Project attributable to PCC, JAX has suffered direct damages,” the complaint said. “As of this date, PCC has disclaimed responsibility for the Project delays, and sought additional compensation from JAX associated with the concrete remediation work and other aspects of the Project.”
PC is a commercial construction company with offices in Georgia, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and North Carolina, according to the company’s website. DelleChiaie said PCC employs 600 people. The Jackson Laboratory is a nonprofit biomedical research institution with more than 1,500 employees in Bar Harbor, according to the laboratory’s website.
