Hamiltons press city to finish CDBG‑funded restoration of 1895 church after contractor disputes

Robert and Olga Hamilton told the Community Redevelopment Agency on Sept. 22 that work on their CDBG‑funded historic rehabilitation project for the 1895 church on Southwest Third Street remains incomplete and, they said, damaged by prior contractor work. The Hamiltons asked the CRA, staff and Florida Commerce to allow a contractor they prefer to finish repairs, arguing the building needs a specialist to restore historic materials and to avoid further damage.

The nut graf: the dispute centers on CDBG procurement rules, alleged subpar construction and the need to reconcile grant rules with the homeowners’ request to use a specific contractor. Retired judge and attorney Shirley Brennan, representing the Hamiltons, asked the board to request a noncompetitive procurement under the federal grant rules cited in the record (referred to in the meeting as “200.32(c)(4)”), saying the situation fits the rule’s intent.

What happened in the meeting: Olga Hamilton described a long restoration process and said contractors installed windows and roofwork that, in her words, produced “gaps,” off‑center windows and a sealed ridge vent that prevented attic…