A developer suing Syracuse University for terminating its contract rejected a settlement offer from the university at the end of December 2014, according to a document recently filed in the case.

In a letter sent to the judge in the case on Tuesday, Jennifer Recine, a lawyer for SU, said that on Dec. 19, 2014 the developer’s lawyer rejected a settlement offer from the university. SU has been in settlement talks with the developer, Cameron Hill Construction, LLC, since September 2014. The university agreed to extend the talks for a third time until Jan. 9 even though the settlement range Cameron Hill is asking for is a “nonstarter,” according to the letter.

Cameron Group sued the university in July 2014, about a month after SU terminated the developer’s contract to build a new bookstore and fitness center on University Avenue. The university cited construction delays and inability to secure financing as reasons for ending the project. But Cameron Group says the two parties had a good working relationship and that it has lost approximately $1.5 million on the project.

The letter from SU was a response to a letter sent from Cameron Group’s lawyer John Cherundolo on Dec. 23, 2014 asking the court to intervene in settlement talks. In his letter, Cherundolo said the university was delaying a settlement by canceling settlement talks “at virtually the last moment.”

The university’s letter to the court denied this and said Cherundolo failed to follow up about a meeting time. SU also blamed Cameron Group for stalling the talks because it was slow to provide evidence of the damages it was seeking. When Cameron Group did provide evidence, the evidence did not support its claims. As a result, Cameron Group had to revise its damages estimates three times, lowering the amount sought by millions of dollars, according to the letter.

SU also said Cherundolo was trying to “improperly involve the Court in the parties’ settlement efforts” by asking it to intervene in the talks. As a result, SU will not meet with Cameron Group until the developer signs an agreement saying it will not use any aspect of the negotiations “in this or any other proceeding,” according to the letter.

The bookstore was to be built at 601 University Ave., and Cameron Group had been given a 30-year tax exemption for the project by the city. In June 2014, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs Kevin Quinn said the university was not seeking any other developers and would be resetting the process for the project.