When the Vancouver International Boat Show returned to BC Place Stadium last week, exhibitors� boats were loaded in faster because the air-lock doors from the previous stadium design are gone.
But once inside, the new Terracover V plastic flooring, which is supposed to protect the refurbished stadium�s soccer and football field, offset much of that time-saving.
�We were under the impression we weren�t going to have a lot of challenges with it,� Boat Show show manager Eric Nicholl said. �There is a little bit of flex in the floor, and a little bit of torque, and there are some challenges with certain areas lining up.�
In the old BC Place Stadium, its FieldTurf field was removed on trays to allow trade and consumer shows and concerts to set up on bare concrete, but the new Polytan Ligaturf pitch in the upgraded facility is embedded in the floor. Bare concrete is therefore not an option.
Graham Ramsay, BC Place sales and marketing director, said the weight of trucks towing one of the heaviest boat show boats shifted a few of the Terracover sections. But he added that it was corrected immediately and crews are working with manufacturer Terraplas on solutions. The stadium also hosts the BC Home and Garden Show February 22 to 26 and the Vancouver International Auto Show April 3 to 8.
�There is no impact on the displays,� Ramsay said, �and this will not affect the schedules for either show or bookings for future events.�
Trade and consumer shows are generally the biggest category for BC Place event-day bookings. The stadium lost $4.128 million in the 2008-09 fiscal year, the year before the 2010 Winter Olympics and renovation.
The renovation, which included a retractable roof, was budgeted at $563 million. Minister responsible Pat Bell told Business in Vancouver it could be three or four months until the final cost is released.
�We�re certainly feeling confident that we�ll continue to be in the budget envelope. I�m not worried that we�ll be over that,� Bell said. �In fact, I�m feeling quite optimistic.�
A freedom of information request filed November 29, 2011 (but not fulfilled until February 3), shows the actual cost of the project was $474.93 million by September. The October and November financial updates were censored by PavCo, which claims disclosure would harm its negotiating position.
Meanwhile, a January 27 BC Supreme Court order required steel contractor Canam Group to amend its surety rider to allow for both a lien and lien holdback. Quebec-based Canam deposited a $6,466,892 bond with the court registry on October 31, the same day French-headquartered cable subcontractor Freyssinet filed a claim for that amount.
Canam fought back November 18 with a countersuit seeking to recoup a $26.15 million project cost overrun. The suit stated that Freyssinet�s work was supposed to cost $30.12 million, but alleged that the cable subcontractor breached its contract and acted negligently, thus nearly doubling the price.
Since the stadium reopened, heavy rains have often leaked through the new fabric roof. There have also been lubricant leaks from cables. Crews cleaned cables an average 10 times per month over several months and installed trays and gutters to catch drips that would otherwise stain the fabric roof, according to a report by steel-netting supplier Geobrugg.
�The full locked cables supplied by our company tend to release some lubricant,� said a September 9, 2011, report. �This lubricant is used to conserve the interior steel wires of the cable in order to protect them against corrosion.�
The roof has a 10-year warranty on all parts of the driving and inflation technology and all components of the controlling system. A project installation warranty lasts three years from the date of substantial completion.
The manufacturer�s warranty on the material is 20 years.
Bell, meanwhile, remained noncommittal about the on-again, off-again naming rights deal with telecommunications supplier Telus (TSX-T). PavCo records show there was a $60,510 contract dated August 30 for Telus marquee signage footing and reinforced steel and another contract on the same day for $30,277 to remove the BC Place sign.��
