Community Center Roof Continues To Be An Issue

By MARK EVANS

STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD

Aesthetically, the Ste. Genevieve County Community Center roofline is pleasing. It was designed in the 1990s to hearken back to the late 18th-century French Colonial architecture that put Ste. Genevieve on the map.

That very roofline, though, has led to numerous issues over the years.

The roof started leaking almost from the start.

“It was a poor design,” Presiding Commissioner Garry Nelson said.

Its design, while unique in appearance, does not allow for sufficient water runoff. Instead of downspouts, which would have affected the appearance, a series of interior pipes were used to  remove water.

During the past year the county commission has been dealing with repairs on the roof, made tricky by its design and by the heating/cooling system and other items on the roof.

Last Thursday, Randy Ruzicka, Second District commissioner and incoming presiding commissioner, reported on a conversation he had with Greg Howell, a member of the community center maintenance staff.

This year the commission paid Bade Roofing some $750,000 to repair the roof. During the work, damage was discovered to a brick wall, which also had to be repaired. The money came from American Relief Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

The latest chapter in the saga took place recently when walking mats used on the roof during the work had gotten flipped by wind into the HAUV system, creating a clog and a leak. It led to water running through the duct work and into the building.

Some of the cast iron joints on the piping are failing. The cast iron pipes leaking have led to visible rust stains around the indoor walking path.

Bade Roofing was contacted and said they would fix the pipe that leaked.