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Less than a week after announcing it would close its doors, J.T. Turner Construction’s prominent brown-and-white signage continues to hang from renovation projects throughout Savannah.
The status of some of these projects is in question with the company’s financial woes coming to light. On March 12, company president Jim Turner said he was winding down operations after 40 years in business, blaming the company’s downfall on the recession and the heavy toll it took on the construction industry in subsequent years.
Some of the current projects, such as Sorry Charlie’s on Ellis Square, are complete but may be subject to lien filings from subcontractors. Georgia law allows subcontractors to file liens as a means of insuring payment from the property on which they provided materials or services.
The Business in Savannah team made inquiries about the status of some of these projects and where they stand.
Tybee Post Theater
In October 2014, the Tybee Post Theater selected J.T. Turner as its general contractor to restore the 1930s-era movie house.
The theater’s board secured a $500,000 construction loan to cover the first phase of renovations, including heating and air conditioning, as well as electrical and mechanical upgrades.
Melissa Turner, executive director of nonprofit Friends of Tybee Theater, said the project was being handled by J.T. Turner Construction Co. of Savannah, a company owned by Turner’s son, Tripp.
“We are contracted with Tripp’s company, not his father’s,” Turner said. “Tripp assures us that we’re good to go, so we’ve got our fingers crossed and are moving ahead.”
She said they are about midway through the first phase of the project, including a custom HVAC system being installed. She said the theater’s building committee plans to meet this week to gather more information from Trip Turner and the project manager.
The group plans to reopen the historic theater as a performing
arts and cultural center.
Sorry Charlie’s
Iconic seafood restaurant Sorry Charlie’s is set to hold its soft opening next week, a year after its building on Ellis Square underwent a complete renovation under J.T. Turner Construction.
Bob Isaacson, owner of the Savannah Charley LLC group, said the opening will not be affected by J.T. Turner’s troubles because the work is completed. However, he said, it could end up double paying for work done on the space.
“It’s a mess,” he said. “We paid J.T. Turner, but apparently J.T. Turner hasn’t paid the subcontractors.”
Isaacson said he had received notices of intentions to file liens from some of the subcontractors of the group.
Turner’s troubles notwithstanding, Isaacson praised the company for completing what he called a “tough project.” The 162-year-old building had been vacant since 2007 after city inspectors discovered major structural damage.
“Despite all the bad news, they did a great job,” he said. “It’s a good building, and it will be there for a long, long time.”
He said the owners had hoped to be open for St. Patrick’s Day but were going to take an additional week to do more test runs before opening.
Savannah Harley-Davidson
In September 2014, Savannah Harley-Davidson broke ground for the construction of its new dealership on 5 acres at Ga. 204 and Interstate 95, with J.T. Turner Construction Co. Inc. as general contractor. The project, which includes a retail and service area in addition to a 50,000-square-foot rider safety training area, was scheduled for completion in June.
“We are probably about halfway through in terms of time, not quite halfway as far as dollar amount goes,” Savannah Harley-Davidson owner Rick Buckley said Monday. “We just signed a contract today with Pinyan Construction to complete the work and expect to stay fairly close to schedule.”
Buckley said he discovered last week that several sub-contractors had not been paid. That was despite the fact that, before he gave the general contractor his draw each month, Turner gave him an affidavit that he had paid his subs and collected lien waivers from them for all work done to date.
To avoid having liens filed on the property, Buckley said, he has to pay the money owed, even though he had already paid Turner for it.
Buckley declined to give the dollar amount of the prospective liens.
“Let’s just say it was enough to keep me awake at night,” he said, adding that the price tag didn’t matter.
“I have to cough it up if I want to continue the project,” he said.
“And we are going to complete this job.”
The Vault
Local restaurant group Ele & The Chef was preparing to open its seventh space, called The Vault, sometime this spring.
The group has launched several successful Asian fusion restaurants in the area, including Fire Street Food, Chive and Flying Monk Noodle Bar on Broughton Street, as well as southside’s The King and I and Tangerine.
J.T. Turner’s brown signage is wrapped around the building, formerly a Bank of America, on 2112 Bull St. in the Starland District. The restaurant will have outdoor seating where the bank’s drive-thru lanes were.
A co-owner of the group, Ele Tran, declined to comment on the current status of the project.
Liens and waivers
A lien is any official claim or charge against property or funds for payment of a debt or an amount owed for services rendered. A lien carries with it the right to sell property, if necessary, to obtain the money owed.
In the case of liens on a construction project, the property owner can only be protected from liens if he or his general contractor has lien waivers from each subcontractor and material supplier stating they have been paid for work completed.
Without these waivers the real estate is subject to liens by all such claimants, if the general contractor, though paid in full, fails to pay the subcontractors. In order to remove the liens, the property owner must pay the subcontractor what is owned — in essence paying twice for the same work.
A lien also effectively shuts down a job site. No work can be done by another contractor until the lien is removed.
As of late Monday, Chatham County Superior Court showed no current liens filed against J.T. Turner Construction Co., although several projects, including Sorry Charlie’s and Savannah Harley-Davison, have been notified by subcontractors of their intentions to file.
Corporation confusion
In a written statement delivered to media Friday, Jim Turner differentiated between his company, J.T. Turner Construction Inc., and his son’s company:
“J.T. Turner Construction Company of Savannah, Inc., a general contracting company owned by Tripp Turner, will continue to operate in the Carolinas.”
But there is confusion among many, including some Turner clients, as to which company does what.
Tripp Turner wielded a golden shovel at the September 2014 groundbreaking for Savannah Harley-Davidson, yet that was a project of his father’s company. Similarly, work has been halted on the Tybee Post Theater, despite the understanding that Tripp Turner’s company was the one doing that work.
As of Monday, J.T. Turner Construction Co. Inc. was listed as a corporation in good standing since 1993 on the website of the South Carolina Secretary of State, yet that website had no registered listing in South Carolina for J.T. Turner Construction Co. of Savannah Inc., which is currently operating in South Carolina at Palmetto Bluff.
Tripp Turner’s company is, however, listed as an active company since Sept. 21, 2010, with the Georgia Secretary of State.