City sues contractors, vows to fix issues at four-year-old library

Outdoor space at a city library has been closed, with repairs planned for the property that opened just four years ago.

A new tender seeks to hire a company to fix up the outdoor wood deck and patio outside Bill and Helen Norrie Library, which opened in 2021.

The city is also suing three contractors involved in the library’s construction.

“The east side of the building has a patio area, which is to the naked eye, very visually imperfect and it needs to be repaired. Clearly, the initial construction wasn’t sufficient to test (it),” said Evan Duncan, chairman of council’s property and development committee. “The dispute with the contractor is going to be dealt with at whatever time, but (city staff are) going to move forward … so that the public can get back in there and use that space as soon as possible.”

The 14,000-square-foot library at 15 Poseidon Bay cost $9.3 million to construct.

On Wednesday, a large portion of its outdoor space was blocked off by a metal security fence, while patrons continued to use the indoor areas.

Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) said the problems that require repair include heaving of surfaces that could create safety risks.

“There are several issues with uneven grading that could potentially cause some tripping hazards. And at the end of the day, it’s a new library. It should be pretty much perfect, and it’s not, so we’re going to get it to that point,” said Duncan.

The councillor said an exact date has not been set for the outdoor space to reopen to the public.

Last year, the City of Winnipeg launched a lawsuit against contractors over the library’s construction. In a statement of claim, the city alleges three contractors — LM Architectural Group, Gateway Construction & Engineering Ltd. and M. Block & Associates Ltd. — are responsible for accessibility and drainage flaws at the facility.

The suit alleges the facility fails to meet accessibility standards and has inadequate drainage, which has led water to pool outside the library, in the parking lot and on a nearby street.

The city is seeking general and special damages.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

Two of the companies did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday, while Gateway Construction declined an interview request.

In a brief email, city spokeswoman Pam McKenzie said a court date has not yet been set.

The library’s deck and patio closed to the public in late fall 2023, while the cost of the outdoor repair “will be known once the bid has been awarded,” McKenzie wrote.

“We expect other work will be needed to correct other deficiencies related to the statement of claim,” she noted.

The city’s tender for repairs seeks a company to complete the repairs by Nov. 14, though the timeline could be extended if the city doesn’t award the contract by early September.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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