Concerns brought forward about concrete at football stadium says contractor

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This article was published 24/04/2015 (3806 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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‎Investors Group Field contractor Stuart Olson claims it raised concerns about the cracking concrete at Winnipeg’s football stadium, where all the concourses are now slated to be torn out and replaced.

Cracking concrete was one of more than 500 concerns raised by the construction company while it was building Winnipeg’s football stadium, president and CEO David LeMay said this morning at a press conference at Stuart Olson’s Winnipeg office.

LeMay held the conference to elaborate upon Stuart Olson’s statement of defence against a lawsuit by Triple B Stadium, the shell company that owns Investors Group Field.

In March, Triple B ‎claimed damages from Stuart Olson and architect Ray Wan for stadium design and construction deficiencies that include cracked concrete, poor drainage and water protection, heating and insulation issues and access problems.

In a statement of defence filed Thursday, Stuart Olson denied most of Triple B’s allegations. Stuart Olson also alleged Triple B and the Selinger government rushed the project to completion under a lower-than-usual budget – and knowingly approved a deficient design.

That statement of claim asserted the low budget and tight timelines were in accordance with the political and financial requirements of the province.

On Friday, LeMay declined to elaborate upon that statement, claiming the legal statement speaks for itself.

He said Stuart Olson is proud of building Investors Group Field and repeated his company’s insistence it built what it was asked to build.

LeMay would not, however, comment on the fact Triple B Stadium is starting to tear out concrete from the stadium, beginning work expected to cost tens of millions.

LeMay said this is the first time he’s had to hold a press conference in nearly 30 years in the construction field. He suggested he did so in part to protect the reputations of the firm’s Manitoba employees.

Meanwhile, Opposition Deputy House Leader Heather Stefanson renewed a call for an independent audit into the construction of IGF.

Stefanson told reporters the provincial auditor general could examine the matter as well as an outside body retained by the province.

“Answers are not forthcoming from this government about what has transpired here and we need to get to the bottom of what happened,” she said.

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said today he won’t comment on a lawsuit that’s before the courts and declined to address the allegation the province rushed the project into construction, at a low budget.

Selinger repeated his contention that Canad Inns Stadium had outserved its lifespan and was in dangerous condition, requiring the construction of a new stadium. Investors Group Field has proven a boon to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, he said.

Selinger would not address why it took Triple B Stadium nearly two years to disclose the severity of problems ‎with the stadium. Triple B is a shell company representing the province, city, football club and University of Manitoba.

Selinger also declined to support a stadium audit but said the provincial auditor is free to investigate any project.

— with file from Bruce Owen