By David Helwig
SooToday.com
Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Philip Garforth is suing the City of Sault Ste. Marie for $60 million over his failed development proposal for the Gateway property.

The lawsuit names a number of other defendants, including City councillors who were served with statements of claim last night.

Two years ago, Sault Ste. Marie City Council voted to terminate a downtown development deal with Garforth's Legacy Quest Developments Inc., citing what Assistant City Solicitor Nuala Kenny described as "material breaches of contract" by both the developer and the City's Economic Development Corp.

Garforth then struck a deal for a similar waterfront development with the Michigan Soo City Commission, however that project was placed on the back burner after the developer defaulted on a promise to deposit $1.9 million into an escrow account for his proposed purchase of the I-500 property.