PORTLAND, Maine (AP)   A Vermont construction company has filed a lawsuit against the developers involved in a stalled housing project in Maine, saying the developers have been “playing a shell game” to avoid paying their bills.

PC Construction Co. says in its lawsuit filed Wednesday it provided work on the Midtown project in Portland, costing at least $235,000.

The proposed $85 million project included hundreds of apartments, retail space and a parking garage in what was meant to overhaul city’s Bayside neighborhood.

The lawsuit says developer Federated Companies created companies in order to avoid paying bills to contractors.

The Bangor Daily News reports a lawyer for the developers says the lawsuit “lacks merit” and PC Construction originally said it would work for free.