Sinkholes are threatening the Trailwinds Village development north of County Road 466A across from Pinellas Plaza, where Lowe’s Home Improvement Center is scheduled to open Jan. 11.
One sinkhole has damaged a new sewage lift station and must be repaired before the store opens.
“We’re running out of time to get this fixed,” Wildwood City Administrator Jason McHugh told commissioners Monday night.
He said the main issue is not whether the lift station will be repaired in time, but who will pay for it.
The lift station was built by the Trailwinds developer and deeded to the city, McHugh said. The developer also posted a performance bond.
“Their insurance company is saying it’s an act of God and the bond doesn’t cover acts of God,” he said.
McHugh said he has requested a legal opinion on who should pay for the repairs. Meanwhile, the city has commissioned an engineering analysis on what will be needed and will try to get three repair bids.
Mayor Ed Wolf said he is very concerned.
“This is front burner,” he said. “When they flush that first toilet, we better be ready. It opened our eyes to a lot of stuff about moving dirt around.”
Besides the 103,000-square-foot Lowe’s plus a garden center, Trailwinds also will include an Aldi grocery store, an ABC Liquor store, a Circle K gas station and a VyStar Credit Union branch.
The property also has space for two more anchor stores and several smaller retail stores. Ten small office buildings and a three-story, 247,000-square-foot storage building are planned on the west end.
