The owner of the Hilton Pittsburgh has settled a $317,273 debt owed to contractor P.J. Dick, presumably a key step in getting a stalled $25 million renovation project rolling again.

In documents filed Monday, P.J. Dick asked Allegheny County Common Pleas Court officials to "discontinue and mark settled" the $317,273 mechanics lien the contractor filed against Shubh Hotels Pittsburgh LLC last month. A court docket entry stated the lien had been "satisfied in full."

David Raves, P.J. Dick's attorney, confirmed that the lien had been satisfied, but said he couldn't comment on whether Shubh had paid the full amount.

Nor would he comment on whether the settlement would clear the way for work to resume on a partially completed addition at the entrance to the Hilton.

"I can't answer one way or the other," he said, adding that he had been instructed by P.J. Dick not to speak to anyone about the situation.

No work was taking place at the job site adjacent to the Hilton's main entrance yesterday. The hotel is the city's largest, with more than 700 rooms.

Neither officials for P.J. Dick nor Shubh Hotels LLC, the Florida-based owner of the Hilton Pittsburgh, returned phone calls seeking comment.

The contractor walked off the job last month for the second time in the past year, leaving an unfinished steel skeleton at the entrance to the Golden Triangle from the Fort Pitt Bridge three months before the G-20 economic summit will be held in Pittsburgh.

Rich Stanizzo, business manager of the Pittsburgh Building and Construction Trades Council, said yesterday that he had been told by P.J. Dick that it intended to return to the job if the unpaid bills were resolved.

P.J. Dick also pulled its workers from the Hilton site last year after filing a mechanics lien in May for nonpayment of $575,539. That lien was satisfied in full in November, and work resumed.

With the summit drawing closer, the unfinished addition has attracted the attention of city Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and County Executive Dan Onorato, who has called it an "eyesore." Both have urged Shubh to get the construction going again.

The $25 million in renovations started more than two years ago. They have included new carpeting, ceilings, flat-screen televisions, painting and other improvements to guest rooms, virtually all of which have been completed.

Outside, the stalled addition was to have included a swimming pool, health club, expanded banquet facilities and other work. Mr. Mathis said last week the pool has since been dropped from the plans.

Over the last year and a half, more than a dozen other companies have filed liens or claims seeking payment from the Hilton owner. Many but not all have been settled.