Courthouse Problemos
So now the public finally has the extensive report of the new as-yet unopened multi-million-dollar courthouse, and there is good news and bad news to unpack.
The good news is, as already reported by inside-county sources in this newspaper weeks ago, the structure’s foundation is solid. No need to mirror the leaning condo on South Padre Island, Ocean Tower, which was intentionally imploded in 2015. Its land now serves as a parking lot.
In fact, with regard to the new courthouse, not a lot of the new structure is in bad shape.
Who’s going to fix the problems, though? That remains the million- dollar question, followed by how soon can the work be done?
Originally, county staff were told they would be moving into the new $200-million courthouse (some say $180 million) last November (2022). That date came and went, and now the summer season is here, work at the courthouse has stalled while legal teams, and the county commissioners court, decide how to move forward.
The Troubled Report
Reading through the fourpage report makes it hard to justify spending approximately $200 million on a building with this much slipshod work, some will undoubtedly argue.
Under “Roof,” for example, it reads: “The majority of the roof covering and flashings appear to be in FAIR CONDITION (emphasis intentionally added), with isolated areas in POOR CONDITION.”
That’s just for starters. More under “Roof:” “Numerous areas of ponding water and sedimentation straining are apparent due to improper underlying tapered insulation and cricket installation, resulting in inadequate or interrupted roof slope to drains. In general, various roof system components are not installed in accordance with the project specifications or the roofing membrane manufacturers installation instructions.”
The firm that did the report, Houston-based WJE, believes that roof repairs are needed: “As such, we recommend performing roof repairs and or localized removal and replacement as required, in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions for the roof to reach its serviceable condition and achieve the manufacturer’s warranty.”
So who can’t read instructions?
In charge of building the new courthouse stood Morganti Texas. Serving as project manager, to make sure that all the work was done correctly by both Morganti and the subs, supposedly filing daily reports, stood the job’s project engineer (Jacobs Project Management Co.). Typically, the daily reports are used to track the progress of the work and to identify any potential problems. Working as a team to get the courthouse built, Morganti Texas and Jacobs were joined by Architect of Record HDR.
Who didn’t notice the courthouse problems while it was being constructed will presumably be litigated moving forward.
In the meantime, the WJE report lists more deficiencies, with the “Stucco Assembly” being among the top problems listed: “Cracks wider than hairline (1/16th of an inch) were observed at some locations, which suggests that the sources of the cracking is due to other factors than normal curing shrinkage. The horizontal cracks near the wall base, where the stucco assembly terminates directly onto the concrete flatwork…” Work to remedy the stucco situation shouldn’t even be attempted, reads the report, until “the assembly be further investigated to determine if moisture has the ability to enter the system, as well as to determine the general construction of the (stucco) assembly and integration with adjacent cladding and windows (whatever that means, it doesn’t sound good).
Meaning, before remedial work can be accomplished, the county must first hire an expert to conduct further testing on the stucco assembly.
Then, the report skips down a page to “Punched Windows,” What are “Punched Windows,” you ask.
Well, according to industry resources, in the building industry, punched windows are windows that are individually framed and set into a wall. They are typically square or rectangular in shape and they can be made of a variety of materials, including wood, aluminum, or steel.
They’re a popular choice for both commercial and residential buildings. They are versatile and can be used in a variety of architectural styles. They are also relatively easy to install and maintain.
The downside? First, they can be more expensive than other types of windows. Second, they can be more difficult to insulate, which can lead to heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. (No biggie in South Texas.) Third, punched windows can be more difficult to clean than other types of windows.
According to the WJE report, we did about as good on the punched windows as we did the stucco assembly: “Previously failed water testing is likely a result of improper cladding terminations at window perimeters; However, diagnostic testing and investigation of window perimeter cladding terminations is required to form a definitive opinion.”
Not sure what all that means. Need a construction guru, but again, like the stucco, it doesn’t sound good.
In fact, WJE recommends that “further diagnostic testing be conducted of punched windows and the transitions to adjacent cladding systems to determine the source(s) of water intrusion.”
Water intrusion? In a new building not yet occupied?
There are other deficiencies or concerns mentioned in the report, but the stucco assembly, punched windows, and the roof problems seem to the biggest obstacles standing in the way of job completion.
That, and who’s going to oversee the completion? The bond company?
Up in Travis County, a new courthouse opened recently, approximately the same size as Hidalgo County’s new one, now steeped in misery, on budget, and on time.
What happened with the new courthouse in Hidalgo County? The work was spread over two administrations and was cursed for a time with COVID. Still, other projects were finished on time, without so many problems, so who knows.
Time now for the attorneys to do their thing, which includes making money the old-fashioned way, through hard work. Litigation is time consuming, after all. How a bonding company will fit into this, who knows.