The cheerfulness of a red, white and blue anniversary banner hanging from the Falmouth Station’s wrought-iron fence belies tensions inside the brick building.

John Marcellino at Harvard. (John Blanding/Globe Staff)

For the last three years, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Member John (Chef John) Marcellino has operated The Station Grill restaurant inside the building. He leases the space from the Falmouth Economic & Industrial Corporation, better known as the EDIC.

The relationship between tenant and landlord has deteriorated over time, and now Chef John says he believes the EDIC is trying to drive him out by sharply increasing the rent and maintenance payments, failing to make timely repairs, and generally treating him unfairly.

Chef John further lists a series of mistreatments that he believes are racially motivated. He has filed complaints with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and with the Cape Cod branch of the NAACP.

“My wife and I have all our savings invested in the business,” Mr. Marcellino said in a telephone interview. “The EDIC is trying to take it away.”

Wayne Lingafelter, executive director of the EDIC, said the EDIC hired an outside consultant to investigate Chef John’s charges of racism.

In addition to rent increases, the lease also stipulates that Chef John would pay an additional 25 percent of any maintenance costs that exceed $1,500 per quarter.

According to the EDIC, Chef John now owes $2,873 for rent and maintenance, according to his most-recent bill.

Chef John said he is particularly chafed that he and his wife must pay a percentage of cleaning charges that hover around $1,500 a month.

The Marcellinos cleaned the station themselves until this year, and they charged the EDIC only $35 an hour, Chef John said.

Chef John also said the EDIC is slow to make repairs. He cited two broken air conditioners, only one of which has been fixed; graffiti that has not been removed; and untrimmed shrubbery.

“I believe if I was white, he would have taken care of it.”