Defects found on high-profile Bradenton building. There have been issues before, too

Scaffolding around the south side of the Manatee County Judicial Center is not a completely new sight to many, but it’s one that at least one City of Bradenton official worries is not only unsightly but could bring legal issues for the city.

Bradenton Ward 1 city councilman Gene Gallo said Wednesday he has been contacted several times about the scaffolding.

In a meeting with staff, Gallo said they found (and court records confirmed) that the county is involved in a lawsuit with the company that built the building about a piece on the exterior wall that has fallen at times.

Gallo said it was at the instruction of the county attorney that the scaffolding be put up.

“The city looks like poo-poo over there due to what (the county is) involved in,” Gallo said.

Court records indicate there are defects on the exterior paneling of the building, causing pieces of it to fall to the ground.

A statement to the Bradenton Herald from the Manatee County Attorney’s Office said the scaffolding has been placed outside as a precautionary measure.

But people don’t want to walk under the scaffolding, Gallo said. He fears the city could be liable if pedestrians don’t want to walk on the city’s sidewalk and wander into the streets.

Scott Rudacille, the interim attorney for the city, said the city could be included in lawsuits that might arise. However, the county is also likely to be liable. He offered to reach out to the county attorney’s office.

The Judicial Center, a $77.3 million nine-story glass and brick building in the heart of downtown Bradenton and designed by the architectural firm HOK, was completed in 2008, two years after contractor Balfour Beatty Construction, LLC broke ground in April 2006, according to Bradenton Herald archives.

“Manatee County recently identified issues with the quality of the architectural precast panels on the exterior of the County’s Judicial Center building. Forensic investigation and testing have occurred, and more testing is anticipated,” the Manatee County Attorney’s Office said in an email statement provided through the county spokesman Wednesday.

This issue is with a shell precast paneling exterior.

Manatee County is suing Balfour Beatty Construction for breach of contract and negligence for the company’s failure to properly construct or install architectural precast concrete (APC) panels and caulk on the exterior of the building, 2019 court records show.

The Bradenton Herald has reached out to Balfour Beatty Construction for comment, but the company hasn’t responded.

On Nov. 5, 2018, Manatee County notified the construction company of defects in the panels and caulk between them, according to court documents. As of the court filing on April 22, 2019, the defects had not been repaired by BBC.

The defects, court documents say, have caused pieces of the exterior wall to fall off the facade of the building to the ground, creating a potential safety hazard.

An exact amount for the work was not specified in the newest lawsuit, but it is expected to exceed $15,000.

A review of drone footage and visits to the site created several questions for Manatee County in late 2017. It was discovered one panel was sticking out of the building, possibly due to support failure, according to a Nov. 9, 2017, email to the Board of County Commissioners from Charlie Bishop, director of property management.

This is not the first issue with the building’s exterior.

Construction or design defects on a stucco panel material section of facade of the Manatee County Judicial Center needed $2 million in repairs in 2013 and county attorneys at the time were ready to pursue action to get them done but it was not necessary as repair work began, according to Bradenton Herald archives.

At the time, Steve Holt, then-executive vice president of Balfour Beatty Construction LLC, told the Herald they believed the subcontractor, Commercial Plastering Inc., of Bradenton, was “substantially or completely responsible” and initiated a lawsuit for the repair funds.

A lawsuit was filed in October 2012 for one count of breach of contract after BBC became aware of issues with the exterior material, court records indicate.

This story was originally published August 14, 2019 at 4:25 PM.