SEATTLE — The contractor rebuilding Seattle’s Pier 58 — part of the downtown waterfront’s dramatic overhaul — is suing the city, alleging officials have not paid them for new work designed to speed up completion of the project.
Pier 58 has long been a key piece of Seattle’s new waterfront, which has been under discussion for more than 15 years and will cost more than $800 million. Sandwiched between the Aquarium and Great Wheel, the triangular pier will be a public space with a playground, trees and public art.
Pacific Pile and Marine won the contract to rebuild the Pier in 2022 and started construction that October. A year later, the city asked Pacific Pile to speed up its work and the company agreed.
The company and city went back and forth through much of 2024 on the change order to reflect the accelerated work. Seattle last promised it would provide an updated order on Aug. 19, so that the company could start billing, according to the lawsuit. The city still hasn’t done so, the suit alleges.
The lawsuit said the failure to issue the order and subsequent payments has caused the company “irreparable damage.”
The city did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, and typically does not comment on active litigation.
The pier is currently under construction.
Though Pier 58 was always going to be demolished, it began falling into Puget Sound in 2020, forcing the city to tear it down earlier than expected. During demolition, several workers were plunged into the Sound, along with slabs of concrete and heavy machinery, narrowly avoiding more serious injury. They later sued the city for negligence, accusing it of failing to maintain the old pier.
The original contract to rebuild the pier was awarded to Pacific Pile and Marine for $34.5 million. Seattle and the company have not agreed on the final cost of the accelerated work.
Lawyers for the contractor are demanding a monthly 1% interest on the final cost of the accelerated work in damages, plus attorney’s fees.
The lawsuit represents the ugly side of megaprojects, even as city officials begin rolling out the red carpet for the waterfront’s completion. The new aquarium plaza opened last week, with the overhead walkway to Pike Place Market soon to follow. City officials estimate the entire waterfront will be completed early to middle of next year.
