A business owner in Casselberry has filed a lawsuit in an effort to stop the construction of a flyover bridge that the owner says will kill business in the area of State Road 436 and U.S. Highway 17-92. Officials in Casselberry say the bridge will make it easier for northbound traffic to flow into the city, but opponents, namely the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, want instead to offer a plan to make the intersection more conducive to business.

In particular, the lawsuit seeks a 90-day injunction that will temporarily stave off plans for starting the $80 million flyover project. In the meantime, the plaintiffs — the owner of Orlando Jai-Alai and another Casselberry resident — intend to offer their own plan.

The Orlando Jai-Alai owner also owns 50 acres of land in the area, and he intends to present the Florida Department of Transportation with an alternative that he says could cost $10 million less than the $23 million it would take to build the bridge. He believes that the bridge will be unattractive and discourage new business.

He wants instead to establish turn lanes, build landscaped medians and widen the road to create a “boulevard” atmosphere. This, he says, will encourage development.

A representative for the plaintiff stated that the intersection has the potential to become a major economic hub in Seminole County, but that the flyover bridge would undermine that potential.

The department of transportation had intended to hire a construction company for the project later this month, and work on the flyover was expected to be finished in about two years. It remains to be seen whether or not the recent lawsuit sways those plans.

Florida business owners who want to protect their interests may need strong legal support to do so. To learn more about business and construction law in Florida, please visit our Orlando commercial litigation site.

Source: Orlando Sentinel, “Jai-Alai owner’s lawsuit asks judge to stop Casselberry flyover construction,” Martin E. Comas, July 16, 2013