WINNIPEG – The city’s new football stadium has suffered water damage “due to the spring thaw,” officials admitted Tuesday.
Water has made its way into the suites and visitor’s locker room at Investors Group Field, according to a statement emailed to Global News by Andrew Konowalchuk, chairman of BBB Stadium Inc., the consortium that runs the home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. It just opened last year.
A source familiar with stadium operations, who did not want to be identified, told Global News officials have discovered a lack of drainage from the upper deck of the stadium due to a design flaw.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers referred questions about the stadium to BBB Stadium Inc.; BBB did not make a spokesperson available for an in-person interview and responded only with Konowalchuk’s brief statement. It did not address questions about the cost of repairing the damage, but it did acknowledge that more work needs to be done on the $210-million stadium to prevent further damage.
“This has been an ongoing issue with the facility; the designer and building contractor are aware of the matter and are in the process of remediation, and identifying solutions to avoid future damage,” Konowalchuk’s statement says.
“This will not impact any events scheduled at Investors Group Field, specifically the Canada vs. U.S.A. women’s soccer match on May 8.”
The stadium has a troubled past: completion was a year behind schedule, and it has needed more funding beyond the original $190-million price tag to correct various deficiencies in the design. The province recently announced $3 million in funding for energy efficiency improvements.
The stadium is due to host the 2015 Grey Cup.
Comments