(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) Six months after Hurricane Isabel ripped through the fiberglass canopy of nTelos Pavilion at Harbor Center in Portsmouth, VA, construction began about two weeks ago, with completion expected in time for a June 3 Lynyrd Skynyrd concert.
We're going after it fast and furious," General Manager Jon Martin told the Virginia-Pilot. The cost to replace the canopy roof and secure new foundation cylinders, will cost about $2.4 million, twice the amount of its initial estimate last year.
"We will be filing the lawsuit soon," City Attorney G. Timothy Oksman said, while declining to discuss whether a design defect caused the roof to tear. Birdair Inc. , the company that designed and built the roof, denies it was poorly designed, the paper reports.
The canopy's three-year limited warranty didn't cover problems caused by winds over 100 mph; Isabel's winds reportedly were not recorded as high as 100 mph.
The new roof, which will look like the old canopy, has been designed by Span Systems Inc. in New Hampshire. It will have a three-year warranty on workmanship and a 10-year warranty on fabric, said City Engineer Richard A. Hartman, the paper reports. Severe damage by winds, up to 115 mph, will also be covered by the new warranty. The new structure will also be extended on the west side to protect concertgoers from rain. — Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner
