GSA assessing storm damage to courthouse

The federal General Services Administration is assessing damage last week's torrential rains did to the roof being replaced at the new federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau and to the the interior of the building.

Water from the 13-inch rain came through leaks in the atrium and the judge's reception area. The ceiling in the court clerk's file storage room also got wet.

"We had people doing what they could to mitigate the damage, but it was beyond our capacity," said Brad Scott, the GSA regional administrator.

Project manager George Gourse is determining whether walls and ceilings will merely need to be repainted, cleaned or replaced and whether mold growth is a danger. Air quality samples are being taken, and some of the wall finishes are being sent to a laboratory.

After a review of the completed courthouse last summer, the GSA refused to accept the building's original roof because of the number of patches. Crews replacing the roof expected to complete the work April 7, but a horizontal rain a few weeks ago delayed their work and sprang some leaks in the courthouse. "That proved we had a substandard roof," Scott said.

The completion date for the roof was pushed back to April 15 at that time and may be delayed further now, Scott said.

The roofing crew is working 10-hour days seven days a week.

The GSA keeps the ServiceMaster cleaning company on retainer. After the heavy rains last week, the company brought in a desiccant air system to dehumidify the building. Standard dehumidification uses a refrigerant to rid the atmosphere of moisture by way of a hose. A desiccant system puts superheated, superdry air into an environment. A normal indoor environment is 70 degrees with 40 percent humidity. A desiccant system puts 120-degree air in at 1 percent humidity.

"We are creating an artificial environment inside," said Tony Smee, vice president and general manager of ServiceMaster Disaster Restoration Services in Cape Girardeau. "It's almost like a desert."

The first contract for the courthouse was awarded in 2003. The projected opening was July 2006. Work was delayed a year and a half as the original general contractor was replaced and structural steel changes and the need for additional foundation piers helped boost the building's original $50 million estimate by $12 million.

Inspections late last summer turned up additional problems with the roof, lighting and hardware expected to cost $2.2 million to repair.

In a new memo to Scott, Gourse said the remaining repairs on the project still should be substantially complete by March 31 and that any delays should not extend beyond the end of May.

The GSA's current plan is for agencies to begin moving into the courthouse in May.

"We're anxious to deliver a great product to the community," Scott said. "This is another inconvenience and setback, but we have the best possible team we can assemble there."

Scott did not know if the new damage would be covered by insurance -- the federal government is self-insured -- or whether the damage would come under the bond of a contract.

Scott said the damage to the courthouse can't compare to the catastrophe many communities have suffered because of the flooding. "We will stay on top of it and do what we can to get on track," he said.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137

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