William Cea Wins Summary Judgment in Federal Bid Protest Case

Becker & Poliakoff attorneys, led by shareholder William Cea, have secured a significant court ruling in favor of their client, Premier Parks, ending this case and providing for open competition to bid on a future water park planned for 65 acres in Fort Lauderdale (Premier Parks v. City of Fort Lauderdale).

Premier Parks, the parent company of Rapids Water Park in Riviera Beach, filed suit in October 2015 after the City tried to allow Schlitterbahn, a waterpark operator, to build on a 65-acre property owned by the City, including the existing Ft. Lauderdale and Lockhart Stadium facilities. After buying out the Federal Government’s interest in the land in 2015, the City agreed to enter into a 30-year lease with Schlitterbahn. Premier Parks argued that the City should have been required to obtain competitive bids for the project and the court agreed.

Gary Rosen, managing shareholder of Becker & Poliakoff, said: “This was a challenging case and we believed in our client’s right to compete for an opportunity to develop the property. We are extremely pleased for our client and are very gratified that the court has agreed with our view that the city should have submitted this to public bid.”