Severe water damage may delay courthouse opening

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A new federal courthouse in Buffalo may not open on time after a very wet construction accident.

It's been five days, but there is still no damage estimate from Mascaro Construction or the owner of the building, the federal government. The construction mishap may have been a costly mistake.

A worker closing the construction entrance gate was the only visible activity at the site of the new Federal Courthouse in Buffalo. The courthouse is scheduled to open in two months, but water damage has taken a toll on the first five floors in the southeast corner, caused by a hose left on last weekend by workers installing a floor. The water pressure built up, causing the hose to burst.

U.S. District Court Clerk Michael Roemer said, "We don't yet know the full extent of the damage. We don't have a dollar value. We don't know if there will be any delays to the schedule. We're still evaluating all that."

Groundbreaking was more than three years ago, but the project took 11 years of planning. Buffalo's $137 million glass paneled elliptical Federal Courthouse will have nine courtrooms and 11 chambers. The water damage effected sub-floors, ceilings, and possibly wiring. Luckily, the new courtrooms with fine woodwork and marble were not effected.

The General Services Administration, which owns the building, is expected to have investigators inspecting the damage next Tuesday. Taxpayers should not worry about footing the bill for the those damages.

"This shouldn't cost the taxpayer any extra money. The contractor and the sub-contractor are all insured and bonded," explained Roemer.

Federal judges Richard Arcara and William Skretny spent years working on the project.

Judge Skretny said, "It's a magnificent structure. It's going to earn its place in our architectural history."

The judge isn't letting the water damage dampen his spirits. He said everybody's working on solutions now, hoping it won't result in setbacks.