PORTLAND, Maine (AP)   A development project touted as a chance to overhaul a neighborhood in Maine’s largest city appears dead after losing approvals.

The “Midtown” project included a pledge to turn former scrap yards into hundreds of housing units in the Bayside section of Portland. The Portland Press Herald reports the project’s developer, Federated Companies, missed a deadline on Saturday.

The project could be headed for a court battle to determine who is responsible for millions of dollars invested in it. The project was delayed for years due to lawsuits and opposition from local groups. It was then scaled back and got approval from the city three years ago.

Federated Companies said in a written statement on Friday that it plans to sue the city for breach of contract. City officials deny responsibility.