Article Courtesy of Tampa Bay Times
By Susan Taylor Martin
Published June 6, 2018
ST. PETERSBURG — The developer of ONE St. Petersburg,
Tampa Bay’s tallest condo tower, is being sued over alleged construction and
design defects at another of its bay area condo projects.
The Water Club Snell Isle Condominium
Association says the Kolter Group and related companies
committed dozens of code violations in the building of the
95-unit complex four years ago, according to a suit filed
this month in Pinellas County Circuit Court.
Among other things, the suit alleges problems with peeling
paint and stucco, excessive condensation on windows,
counter, sink and vanity heights that do not meet code and
improperly installed joints and structural slabs.
Because of the defects, the condo association "has been and
will be required to expand large sums of money for the
repair and maintenance" of the property, the suit says. It
also cites "depreciation in value" of the units, seven of
which are now on the market at prices ranging from $605,000
to $1.035 million.
Kolter, based in West Palm Beach, did not return a call or
email for comment Wednesday.
Kolter is best known in the bay area for development of ONE
St. Petersburg, a 41-story, 253-unit condo tower in downtown
St. Petersburg that will be one of the tallest buildings on
Florida’s West Coast when finished later this year. Built by
the Kolter-related Kast Construction, it is nearly sold out
with units priced as high as $4 million.
Kolter also developed the adjacent Hyatt Place hotel that
opened last fall.
|
|
The Water Club Snell Isle Condominium Association is
suing the developer and others over alleged construction and design
defects in the 95-unit complex in St. Petersburg.
|
Two years ago, a Palm Beach County condo association
reached a $22.5 million settlement with Kolter and 17 other defendants in
one of that county’s largest civil suits ever.
San Matera The Gardens Condominium Association initially sought $36 million
to repair 30 buildings, home to more than 1,000 residents whose luxury
condos disintegrated as water seeped through walls, roofs, windows and
sliding glass doors.
In that case, which dragged on for years, condo fees rose by as much as 10
percent a year to bankroll legal fees and emergency repairs, the Palm Beach
Post reported.
|