PEMBROKE — A dispute over allegations that some contractors have not been paid for construction work on the Boys and Girls Club building for Lumbee Tribal Districts 6, 7, and 8 is holding up completion and occupancy of the building. The building was supposed to be completed by March 31.

According to the Fayetteville Observer, 15 contractors have filed court documents in Robeson County contending they have not been paid about $1 million for work on the building located behind the Lumbee Housings Complex. The subcontractors are all contracted under ARW General Contractors, which has a $2.8 million contract with the tribe to construct the building.

ARW General Contractors has also filed a claim totaling $499,984.93, according to the newspaper.

Anthony Holden, new construction coordinator for the tribe, told The Observer that the tribe had been paying the general contractor and the contractor is responsible for paying the subcontractors. He said in accounting for the liens filed by the general contractor and subcontractors, he believes the subcontractors are owed about $327,000.

Holden also is quoted as saying that he expects more liens to be filed in coming weeks because another 12 subcontractors working on the building have not been paid. That could be another $300,000 in liens, he said.

This is reportedly the first time that the tribe has worked with ARW General Contractors. The company has post office boxes and addresses listed in Pembroke, Lumberton and Fayetteville.

According to the newspaper, Bosco Locklear, the tribe’s housing director, said that the tribe cannot take possession of the building until Robeson County issues a certificate of occupancy. A certificate of occupancy cannot be issued with liens on the property.

Locklear also said that the tribe, which has about $90 million in assets, has never had a lien placed on one of its buildings. He said that lawyers for the tribe and ARW General Contractors have agreed to work out payment schedules with the subcontractors so they will lift the liens. ARW General Contractors can then be paid for the rest of the work, he said.