Architectural Firm Sues City Over Courthouse

The Craigen J. Oster 40th District Court in St. Clair Shores is a point of pride for the city.

The new 15,000 square-foot facility is state-of-the-art and has quickly become the centerpiece of the 11 Mile Road and Jefferson corner, the same corner that hosts the police department, library and city hall.

However, the city faces a lawsuit now over the design of the building from the architectural firm, Stucky + Vitale Architects Inc. in Royal Oak.

The suit alleges the city still owes the firm $37,000 for tasks performed for the construction on the facility, which opened in April of 2013, approximately four months behind schedule.

The firm claims it is owed the money for work it did after its initial one-year contract expired that expired in February 2013, according to a Macomb Daily report.

The firm goes on to place blame on the project’s general contractor for delays, and says they had reached out to the city to negotiate but were denied.