advertisement

Glen Ellyn rec center roof work done

Major repair work to the leaking roof at the Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center is complete, Glen Ellyn Park District officials said Thursday.

Work crews finished attaching a single-layer insulated membrane to the existing roof Thursday, almost three years after the $11.2 million, 88,000-square-foot facility opened in 2010 with leaks.

Some 20 spots with leakage were identified throughout the two-story building: in the corners of the building, middle of the roof, fitness center, fitness classroom, multipurpose room, and gym and indoor turf area exterior walls.

Since permanent repair work began in July, spots where the rubber membrane was applied have shown no evidence of water penetration, said Dave Harris, the park district executive director.

A system of buckets, tarps and flexible piping that has been in place around the building to control the leaks will be dismantled in the next two or three weeks “once we have complete confidence,” Harris said.

“We have confidence now, but we've been through a lot in the last three years,” he said.

Harris said construction activities and the tarps, while noticeable, haven't interfered with use of the facility.

“The public wasn't affected that way,” he said. “They kind of went about their business.”

There's still some smaller items to be completed in the coming weeks, including installation of a heat trace system in the gutters to melt ice that may form in the winter.

The park district is paying $679,125 for the roof repairs to contractor Solaris Roofing Solutions. The district previously paid for a $10,540 temporary covering to get the roof through last winter.

But parks officials hope to recover money spent to fix the roof through lawsuits they've filed against firms hired for the Ackerman project, arguing they're responsible for the roof leaks.

The park district has sued T.A. Bowman Constructors, who built the facility; building designer Ollman Ernest Architects; project construction manager Professional Building Services; and Employers Mutual Casualty Company, which issued a performance bond on behalf of Bowman.

Bowman has said the park district didn't allow work crews the opportunity to correct roof leaks.

In a court filing this week, attorneys for Ollman formally responded to the park district's complaint, arguing that the district can't recover costs solely for an “economic loss” resulting from potential architectural malpractice.

Harris said the park district's legal counsel has indicated the litigation could take years before a solution is reached.

The park district is using capital funds to pay for the roof repairs in the meantime.

$1 million fix planned for Glen Ellyn rec center roof

Ackerman roof repairs begin next month

Small businesses say no to health care tax credit

Kids Nature Funfest:

Court battle continues over Ackerman roof leaks

Lawsuits piling up over Ackerman Fitness Center

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.