Suit Claims Contractor Not Paid For Chaffee Crossing Work

By now it’s no secret about what’s happening out at Chaffee Crossing. The former military installation is now the saving grace for the Fort Smith economy.

Either developments take place at Chaffee Crossing or the area drives investments elsewhere. Either way, it’s hard to imagine Fort Smith these days without the promise of Chaffee Crossing.

But by the same token, there’s always trouble in paradise. Just ask Fort Smith contractor Goodwin & Goodwin Inc. The company claims in a May lawsuit in Sebastian County Circuit Court that it did a lot of work on an office building at Chaffee Crossing and didn’t get paid for it.

More importantly, Goodwin & Goodwin’s owner, Bryan Goodwin, says the property where his company did the work should belong to him and his company, not to Florida Oil Investment Group LLC. That’s the outfit Goodwin says stiffed him on the work and then bought the Roberts Boulevard property out from under him on a bogus “right of first refusal” clause.

Goodwin is suing for about $1.48 million in damages from a host of defendants, including the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority. Instead of paying the damages, Goodwin says in his suit, Chaffee could just deed the 5.9-acre tract over to him and call it a day.

Circuit Judge Stephen Tabor will determine the merit of his claim. But Whispers can understand why Goodwin filed the suit. Chaffee Crossing is the place to be.