Accusation Against Salt City Constructors
Larry Stackhouse, the owner of a Syracuse dump truck company, has claimed that Salt City Constructors, a contractor for Interstate 81, failed to honor its promise to hire his minority-owned business for the highway project in Syracuse.
Legal Action Taken
Last week, Stackhouse initiated a lawsuit in state Supreme Court against Salt City Constructors, LLC, which has secured $766 million in contracts for the I-81 reconstruction in Syracuse.
Broken Promises
According to Stackhouse, Salt City Constructors informed him and local officials, as well as the state Department of Transportation, that his company would be involved in the project as part of its commitments to minority hiring and local participation.
Claims of Discrimination
Stackhouse alleges that instead of utilizing his services, Salt City Constructors assigned trucking tasks to non-minority firms and retaliated against his complaints of unfair treatment.
Financial Impact
Stackhouse stated he invested over $450,000 in dump trucks and staffing in anticipation of his company participating in the I-81 project.
Excluded from the Project
He further claims that Salt City Constructors relied on his company’s estimates in their successful contract bids, but subsequently excluded him from significant involvement in the project.
Seeking Damages
The lawsuit seeks redress for lost earnings, incurred costs, as well as emotional distress and damage to Stackhouse’s business reputation. He expressed his heartbreak over the situation, stating, “It’s heartbreaking for them to put me through what I’ve been going through.”
