Brookhaven lawsuit asks $347G from H2M Architects and Engineers over delays, cost overruns at records archive

Brookhaven Town has filed a state lawsuit claiming a Melville architecture and engineering firm hired to help renovate the town's North Bellport records archive caused construction delays and nearly $350,000 in cost overruns.

The state Supreme Court lawsuit claims H2M Architects + Engineers performed "substandard, defective and/or deficient" work at the facility, forcing the town to seize control of the project.

The town is seeking $347,000 in compensation, the amount it said the project was over budget.

Town Attorney Annette Eaderesto declined to comment.

In a statement Wednesday, H2M said it was "disappointed in the current position taken by the town." The statement did not directly address the allegations contained in the lawsuit.

"We stand behind the professionalism of our team and the reputation of our firm. We remain confident in our position and hopeful that this matter can be resolved in a fair and constructive manner," H2M said.

Brookhaven had hired H2M in October 2020 to provide engineering and consulting services for the town's $5.7 million renovation and expansion of the Regional Archived Records Center, a repository for birth and death certificates and town records on Sawgrass Drive in North Bellport.

Besides town records, the facility holds documents for the villages of Port Jefferson and Patchogue, the Rocky Point Fire District, Port Jefferson Ambulance, Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library and the Sound Beach Civic Association.

Cost overrun tally

In court papers, Brookhaven's outside attorney, Lisa Perillo, of Sayville, said H2M developed an "improper design" for some parts of the renovation and drafted a construction schedule that failed to "reflect the fact that the archives building would be occupied during construction."

There also were "deficient plans" for fire sprinkler plumbing and heating and cooling ductwork, and H2M failed to provide an on-site inspector after the first six months of the project, the lawsuit states.

All these and more "required multiple change orders, all of which greatly increased its costs and delayed its completion," Perillo wrote. The project tallied $347,000 in cost overruns, she said.

Construction began in June 2023 and was expected to take no more than a year but was not finished by November 2024, when the town took over management of the project, Perillo wrote. Town Clerk Kevin LaValle said construction was completed in December 2024.

Brookhaven expanded storage space at the archives center by 41.7% by building a second story within the 19,584-square-foot warehouse, Newsday previously reported.

The project was partially funded by a $20 million state grant awarded to the town in 2018 to encourage government efficiency and consolidation efforts. Brookhaven officials at the time said the grant would be used to share town services with villages and other entities, and eliminate obsolete government functions such as defunct special districts.

H2M played a role in restoring the Brookhaven-owned Davis Town Meeting House historic site in Coram more than a decade ago, the company website says. H2M does not currently have any contracts with the town, officials said.

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.