The contractor on Miami Beach's biggest neighborhood flood job wants out.

Ric-Man Construction Florida sued the city in October over the West Avenue Phase II project, the Miami Herald reported. A claim summary attached to the suit says delays the company blames on the city have cost it nearly $21 million. The company is asking the court to let it end the contract, the Miami Beach Journal reported.

The city has not formally answered the complaint. A city spokeswoman told the Herald that "day-to-day construction work will continue without interruption." City Attorney Ricardo J. Dopico said the city does not comment on pending litigation.

What the fight is about

Ric-Man agreed nearly a decade ago to build new storm drains, water and sewer lines, a stormwater pump station and treatment system, and higher roads. Work was supposed to start in December 2017 and end in August 2019, the complaint says. The company now puts completion in early 2029 and blames the city for the slip.

One problem sits underground. Crews found drainage pipes that private property owners had hooked up without permission, according to the complaint. Ric-Man says it can't connect those pipes to the new system. It also says it can't rip them out without another fix, because yards and homes would flood in heavy rain or high tides.

The city's project page says that when crews find undocumented private drainage, the city brings in Miami-Dade County's environmental regulators. That review can change the order and timing of work nearby, and some buildings may need inspections or testing.

Before the suit was filed, the city told residents in an email that the contract requires the contractor to keep working while disputes are settled, the SoBe West Neighborhood Association shared.

Where work stands

Phase II covers West Avenue from 14th to 17th streets and its side streets, Bay Road from 14th Street to the Collins Canal, and Lincoln Court from Lincoln Road to the canal. The city lists the total budget at $100,229,771. Roads in the area are generally going up about 24 inches.

Crews are working on the segments around Lincoln Road, West Avenue, 16th Street and the Lincoln Court and Bay Road street ends. Road raising on Lincoln Court north of Lincoln Road is expected to take about 25 working days. Bay Road north of Lincoln Road comes next, then Lincoln Road. The city expects those two segments to be finished in spring 2027.

The new pump station and treatment system are being built on city parking lot P24 at 1671 West Ave.

Residents in the active work zone with a Zone 12 parking permit may qualify for discounted monthly parking at nearby private garages, according to the city.

How to see it and ask questions

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 11 a.m.: Fernandez leads an in-person walkthrough starting at the corner of Lincoln Road and Alton Road, next to the citizenM hotel. The city moved it from Oct. 29 because of king tides.

Thursday, Nov. 19, 11 a.m.: a virtual project update on Zoom.

More king tides are predicted Nov. 6 to 9 and Nov. 23 to 26, the city says.

Read our guide to last month's king tide flooding, and the plan for rentals and shops at the old Epicure block a few blocks away on Alton Road.

A person in a kayak on a flooded South Beach street
A flooded South Beach street in 2009. Source