A $500 special assessment must be false. That's $4 million. What court in the land is going to award a contractor damages beyond any anticipated profit and associated expenses to date.

The building contract is for $3.1 million, and the drawings have not even been sent to the county for permit purposes. Does anyone seriously believe that if OPA cancelled the contract a court would award the contractor $3.1 million?

If work begins OPA is liable for any and all costs incurred by the contractor along with a reasonable profit. OPA might also be liable for a reasonable profit on the entire contract amount. How could it be liable for the entire $3.1 million?