Repairing the under construction downtown River Center branch library—which has been on hold for months—will take an estimated eight months and cost some $1.9 million, according to documents provided to the city parish Wednesday by its contractor on the project, Buquet & LeBlanc.
In a statement released this afternoon, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome’s office says the parish attorney’s office is in discussions with the project’s design team and engineers regarding the estimated price tag of the repairs.
“Once all parties have had a chance to vet the numbers and agree upon the financial aspect of the quote, repair work will begin,” the statement says.
Work came to a standstill on the $19 million library in mid-April, when contractors noticed a faulty weld that had compromised the building’s signature cantilever overlooking North Boulevard’s Town Square. The problem was attributed to a design flaw, but engineers, architects and consultants studying the problem have been tight-lipped about the specific causes.
Broome’s administration has said taxpayers will not be saddled with the cost overruns that will result from the construction delays and repair.
Read the full quote from Buquet & LeBlanc.
