ORLANDO, Fla. — Channel 9 has learned more about what's delaying the demolition of the eyesore next to Orlando's newest venue.
The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts just opened, but the dilapidated round building next door still stands.
Months ago, Eyewitness News uncovered cellphone video showing a man firing a rifle inside the round building. It was initially believed to be a construction worker firing the weapon, but reporter Lori Brown found out he's the vice president for the company hired to demolish the building.
Orlando leaders chose Crusader Demolition of Lakeland for the project over Richard Lorenz's company, which took down the Amway Arena in 2012.
"I'm shocked. Literally blown away at the techniques that they're using. They're archaic," said Lorenz.
The city has partly blamed the project's delay on the firing of the company's vice president. But Lorenz think the delay comes down to a lack of experience.
"It would have been gone two months ago, there would be green grass there," said Lorenz.
The city's first request for project proposals required companies to have demolished at least two three-story or taller buildings. Brown found out that another company, Pece of Mind Environmental, protested the city's award to Crusader Demolition after learning it had never demolished a three-story building.
Attorneys representing Pece of Mind Environmental are concerned that the city never offered the company a hearing.
"Here the parties did not experience a hearing or face-to-face meeting as you would in every other jurisdiction that I've been involved in protests in," said Joe Lane, real estate partner with the Lowndes law firm.
After the company protested the award, the city lowered the experience bar for proposals, making Crusader Demolition qualified.
The bid from Pece of Mind Environmental was about $200,000 or 20 percent more than Crusader's. The city said it lowered the qualifications for the project "to more accurately reflect the experience the city was looking for."
WFTV