It is probably fair to expect a $1.1 billion, state-of-the-art stadium to be in fully working order when the doors open. Fortunately for the Minnesota Vikings, they are not scheduled to step foot in the brand new U.S. Bank Stadium until after July, so it is probably best to take care of a new leak in the roof now before it becomes a major problem.
It was announced on Friday the brand new stadium, still under construction, sprung a leak that will require an additional $4 million in repairs. Yikes. The leak was the result of snowfall that damaged about 30 percent of the roof, according to The Star Tribune.
What may be more troubling to hear is that workers noticed some signs of possible trouble last fall. It then took months to determine the best course of action to fix the problem. That is a costly delay, but it is not one the citizens of Minneapolis or the Vikings will have to pay for. That bill will be paid by the design team.
“We’re happy they found it now; stuff happens on projects,” M.A. Mortenson Cos. executive John Wood said.
That’s true, of course. It is best to discover and address these types of hassles before opening the doors to the general public. It would have been a complete mess to have to take care of something like this during the football season.
Of course, this is a bit unsettling for some Vikings fans who are certainly aware the need to build a new football stadium escalated when the roof to the Metrodome caved in after a big snow storm.
Construction workers will have to take down a portion of the east side of the building in order to be able to repair the defective vapor barrier, The Star Tribune reports. For now, there is no alternative plan to adjust the scheduled opening date for the stadium.
