After a few quiet years, downtown Orlando’s long-anticipated Parliament House 2.0 project has hit a legal speed bump. A new lawsuit filed by property owner/partner Garito & Co. alleges subcontractor Prates Construction LLC performed “defective and negligent” concrete work at 29 S. Orange Avenue [GMap], the site of the long-promised LGBTQ+ nightclub.
As first reported by Orlando Business Journal, the complaint pegs alleged damages at roughly $3.9 million, combining repair estimates, months of rent and construction delays, lost business income, and reputational harm. The case, Garito & Co. LLC et al. v. Prates Construction LLC et al., was filed in Orange County’s Ninth Judicial Circuit and is assigned to Judge Brian Sandor.
According to the filing, third-party estimates place concrete remediation at over $200,000, with additional claimed consequential damages of about $300,000 for six months of rent and construction delays, $2.4 million in six months of lost income, and $1 million for damage to business reputation. The suit alleges the subcontractor used unsuitable materials, failed to protect or properly prepare surfaces, and left safety hazards and defects. The allegations have not been adjudicated.
The project has been working through permits on the downtown address since 2021, including an interior demolition permit. Some interior work, besides the flooring, has progressed since then, with light, sound, and video walls having been completed. In the meantime, three other LGBT venues have opened downtown, including Anthem Orlando (Instagram), Heatwave (Facebook | Website) in Parramore, and Outpost Neighborhood Tavern (Instagram) by Lake Eola Park.
