Stadium owner to sue architect, builder over water drainage, insulation problems

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This article was published 03/03/2015 (3335 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The owner of Winnipeg’s two-year-old football stadium intends to sue the structure’s architect and builder over water-drainage and insulation issues that have required extensive repairs.

Triple B Stadium Inc., the non-profit organization that owns Investors Group Field, plans‎ to file a statement of claim today against architect Ray Wan and construction company Stuart Olson, alleging they paid insufficient attention to water-drainage and insulation needs for the $210-million venue, which serves as the home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and University of Manitoba Bisons.

The building was completed in 2013 at the U of M’s Fort Garry campus. Since 2014, BBB Stadium has spent $4.7 million repairing cracks and luxury suites damaged by snowmelt, which does not drain as expected, said Andrew Konowalchuk, Triple B Stadium’s chairman.

“We’re holding them accountable,” said Konowalchuk, adding considerable public funds went into the stadium project and more must be spent to properly winterize the building, replace concrete, repair damaged suites and prevent future water damage.

Workers are installing insulation at concessions to prevent pipes from freezing. Suites are being insulated further because they only had single-pane windows.

During the winter of 2015-2016, all concrete concourses will be torn up and replaced to install drainage pipes and correct slopes that drained water in the wrong direction.

The final repair tally is unknown, Konowalchuk said.

The work will not impact Winnipeg Blue Bomber games this season or other events scheduled for Investors Group Field, such as FIFA Women’s World Cup games. Spokesman Darren Cameron said the issues were not what forced the Bombers, the Winnipeg Jets and the National Hockey League to delay an outdoor winter classic game at Investors Group field one year.

Bombers president and CEO Wade Miller said in a statement he supports the legal action. “While we are extremely disappointed that we have had to deal with continuous and ongoing issues since we became the primary tenant in 2013,” said Miller, “we believe today is an important step forward in attempting to have them resolved.”

Konowalchuk said a consultant’s report, submitted last week, concluded that during the design and construction of the stadium, “there was insufficient attention to the mechanics of water drainage and heating, there was poor execution of critical details, and poor construction quality control.”

A statement of claim release by Triple B lists off 42 deficiencies in the building’s design.

The claims against Wan and Stuart Olson have not been demonstrated in court and no statement of defen‎ce has been filed.

Evan Johnston, Stuart Olson’s Calgary-based vice-president and legal counsel, said his firm could not comment on an ongoing legal issue.

Wan has been asked for comment.

 

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca