When contractor Buquet & LeBlanc submitted to the city on Sept. 5 a change order to repair extensive structural damage to the under construction downtown library, the lengthy document included a Sept.17 due date by which the city’s project manager, WHLC Architecture, had to accept the proposed $2 million in repairs.
But that date has come—and gone—and sources familiar with the situation say the architecture firm is nowhere close to signing off on the proposed fixes.
The problem, they say, is not that WHLC, which both designed the building and represents the city as project manager, rejects or disagrees with the list of repairs. Rather, numerous subcontractors are involved in the project and each has its own engineering consultant and insurance company, all of which have representatives reviewing the document and trying to decide who will pay for what.
All parties involved generally agree on what caused the structural failure, first identified in April as a faulty weld, and also where the blame lies. Sources tell Daily Report one of the project’s subcontractors is primarily responsible and that one or two other subs share in some of the blame. City officials have declined to identify the responsible party or parties because of the potential for litigation.
But even while there is consensus on the cause and the solution, there’s not yet agreement on the cost estimates offered by Buquet & LeBlanc or how those costs will be shared.
Also unresolved is which firm or insurance company will pay for the delays and overruns that the city has incurred while the project has been on hold.
Already, that delay has stretched five months and there’s no telling how much longer it might go. Repair and reconstruction is expected to take at least eight months once all parties can agree on how to split the tab.
Mayor Sharon Weston Broome’s administration is hopeful that work will resume soon. In a statement this morning, Chief Administrative Officer Darryl Gissel says, “Our parish attorneys are working diligently to ensure the responsible parties allocate the resources to pay for the proposed repairs to the library. We are optimistic that the project will resume in the near future.”
