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The developer of the Washington State Convention Center expansion project has severed its relationship with its construction manager-general contractor 鈥� a joint venture of Skanska and Hunt Construction.

Seattle-based commercial developer Pine Street Group last summer settled on Skanska-Hunt over two other bidders.

Construction of the $1.4 billion expansion is still scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2017, Pine Street Group principal Matt Griffin said.

The contract in this case allows Pine Street Group to remove the contractor during the preconstruction phase with the owner’s approval.

Griffin said all subcontractors would be retained.

In a statement, the joint venture said its work on the convention center has been consistent with similar, successful efforts in San Francisco, Phoenix, San Antonio and San Jose.

鈥淭he action by the WSCC Board today to discontinue our Preconstruction Services on the Washington State Convention Center Project is shocking and tremendously disappointing to our Joint Venture and the group of construction professionals who have been working diligently on the project over the past nine months,鈥� the statement reads.

The project team also includes design firm LMN Architects and structural and civil engineering firm Magnusson Klemencic Associates.

Skanska’s Portland office was not involved in the project, spokeswoman Dianne Danowski-Smith said.

The project to double the size of the convention center was conceived about 10 years ago. Pine Street Group has been involved for more than two years. Construction聽is expected to conclude in 2020.

鈥淲e just weren’t getting the 鈥榮wing,’ so we had to go back and do something different,鈥� Griffin said, referring to the 2014 nonfiction book 鈥淭he Boys in the Boat.鈥� In it, University of Washington rowers take on the best of Hitler’s athletic machine in the 1936 Berlin Olympics 鈥� but only after the UW coach finds the right mix of oarsmen.

Griffin said his firm is looking for a contractor that can provide effective scheduling and cost information, offer new ideas about saving money, and stimulate creativity among subcontractors.

He declined to give specific examples of poor performance by Skanska-Hunt.

鈥淲e’re looking for someone who helps us get that swing, I can say that,鈥� he said.