Flooding fix at Investors Group Field won’t come cheap
Paul Friesen Winnipeg Sun April 08, 2014
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have discovered another flaw in the design of the city’s new stadium, and the fix won’t come cheap.
The Winnipeg Sun has learned of significant flooding at Investors Group Field, caused by a lack of drainage to handle the spring melt.
A source who saw the problem first-hand but spoke only on the condition of anonymity said roughly one-third of the suites have been affected, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages.
“And then there will be the cost of the permanent fix,” the source said, describing a scene of collapsed ceilings, soaked carpets, even a bucket catching water in the middle of the visitors locker-room.
One problem, the source said, is water from melting snow falls down from the stadium’s roof into the seating area, where it flows back towards the suites, instead of away from them.
“There’s no drainage - it’s sitting at the doors and leaking through.”
The water has also spilled out of the suites and into adjoining hallways, the source said.
Blue Bombers president/CEO Wade Miller acknowledged a water issue, but downplayed the extent of it.
“There’s a little water from a spring thaw,” Miller said. “We’re working with the builder and the designer to deal with it.”
Miller confirmed the water is leaking from the 200 level of seating, but said just “a few” suites on each side have been affected. He claimed no knowledge of an issue with the visitors locker room.
However, he refused the Sun’s request to have access to the publicly funded facility to view the damage.
“You’re not getting in there to have a look at it,” Miller insisted. “The stadium is closed.”
Miller said the Bombers will pursue the facility’s builder and/or designer to cover the costs of the repairs and any redesign that might be necessary.
The source says the Bombers would be wise to acknowledge the seriousness of the issue publicly.
“It’s not minor,” the source said. “You’d think they would have learned from past mistakes. Because everything they’ve tried to hide has come out eventually and made them look bad.”
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, BBB Stadium chair Andrew Konowalchuk said: "Due to the spring thaw, Investors Group Field has sustained water damage in the Suites and Visitors Locker Room. This has been an ongoing issue with the facility; the designer and building contractor are aware of the matter and are in the process of remediation, and identifying solutions to avoid future damage.
"This will not impact any events scheduled at Investors Group Field, specifically the Canada vs. USA women's soccer match on May 8th, 2014."
Originally pegged to cost a guaranteed $190 million, the stadium has been plagued by delays and design issues, from a lack of access to the field for concerts to a press box open to the elements, making the facility unsuitable to host a Grey Cup without a significant renovation.
Those changes have added millions of dollars to the original cost.
Just two weeks ago, the province announced an additional $3 million in funding to make the stadium more usable in the winter, driving the total cost close to $210 million.
Prev
Linear Mode
