WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Developers of an affordable housing project in Warner Robins are suing the city for "deception and delay" and claim race and politics had a lot to do with killing their project.
We told you back in February, Woda-Cooper and their partners accused the city of reneging on their deal in a letter sent to the mayor and council members.
When the city did not respond, they decided to sue.
The lawsuit claims city officials recruited them to build an affordable housing project in downtown Warner Robins on Perkins Field.
Woda-Cooper said the city didn't follow through on their promises and even tried to delay the project.
"I'm not shocked by it. I just think that it's a shame. I think some of the things that are being said are a shame," said Mayor Randy Toms.
The lawsuit claims the city first proposed they develop housing on Perkins Field, then a year later, tried to do a "bait and switch" and push them to a site on Green Street.
Denis Blackburne with Woda-Cooper says that wasn't suitable because it was on a 100-year floodplain and it wasn't the site they initially agreed on.
"We want to now pursue with Perkins Field because that's what we had under contract," said Blackburne.
The developers claim the city began to drag their feet on the project.
They also say Toms and council members said some members of the public felt that "public housing" could bring a "criminal element" to downtown Warner Robins.
"I think it's nonsense to make those allegations. I think it's absolutely nonsense," said Toms.
Developers say Toms and council members backed the project at first, which led them to spend more than a million dollars on planning.
"We were told it was a thumbs up. Please go ahead and put your application in and that’s what we did," said Blackburne.
But Toms said they never told Woda-Cooper to spend that money.
"If they are spending all this money, why? Why are they spending that money? Well, it was because they knew they had the votes to pass it at the time," said Toms. "In my opinion, if they chose to spend money, they chose to spend money."
Toms also said he feels misled. When the project was first brought to him, it was presented as lofts and retail space, then later turned into affordable housing.
Blackburne said it was affordable housing from the beginning.
"We are a specialist-experienced development organization in affordable housing and this was always going to be 90 quality units of affordable housing," said Blackburne.
Toms said this whole project was contingent on the release of the land grant from DNR, but that still has not happened.
The lawsuit, along with Blackburne, also cite the $1.7 million TAD bond that was signed.
Mayor Toms said that was signed by Gary Lee, Director of Economic Developement, who he said, had no authority to sign it.
"I think it means that they decided to travel on an unofficial document of the promise of $1.7 million on a TAD bond that didn’t exist," said Toms.
He said the only thing he signed was an environmental survey questionnaire.
Toms also said it's hard to make the argument that Warner Robins does not support affordable housing projects while they are in the middle of building two. One near the VECTR center and the other on Houston Lake Road.
"I think moving forward, I just want to continue to honor, whether it will always be a baseball field, it’ll always be Perkins Field. I think we can make it a wonderful green space and businesses would want to build around it to enjoy that space but I don’t think, right now, I would support any building of anything at Perkins Field," said Toms.
Blackburne said now, they just want the project to go ahead as planned.
"Our intention is not to win a lawsuit. We would really just like to develop the property as it was intended right from the start."
The lawsuit does not cite a dollar amount, but in the letter sent back in February, the developers said it could be more than $3.5 million.
On March 16th, mayor and council voted to rescind the land lease agreement.
Last year, Toms told us that he initially backed the project, but pulled his support after getting complaints from people in town.
RELATED: Supporters, detractors both vocal at Warner Robins Perkins Field affordable housing project hearing
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