Architect Details Numerous Deficiencies At Dunkin' Donuts Park In Hartford
A report from the Dunkin' Donuts Park architect paints a bleak picture of the workmanship and attention to detail at the stalled stadium project, documenting numerous construction defects that would need to be repaired once work resumes.
The 344-page construction status report, compiled by Jonathan O'Neil Cole of Kansas City-based Pendulum, found problems with many elements and areas of the publicly financed minor league baseball stadium, now projected to cost more than $71 million.
The report, which the Courant obtained through a Freedom Of Information Act request, details exposed rusting rebar, cracking stairs, honeycombing and chipping concrete, improperly poured concourse slabs that invite pooling water, and clogged and improperly installed drains.
The report notes "cracks at both dugout roofs (underside fascia and above roof)" that "when exposed to freezing and thawing conditions will expand and move."
Work has been idle at the ballpark since June, when the city fired the developers. Cole was rehired as a first step to restarting construction.
The architect found areas where water is infiltrating the structure, causing buckling and bowing wall panels, stained and failing ceiling panels and mold spreading along lower walls.
The report detailed multiple instances of doors being much smaller than required to match openings, which resulted in large amounts of sealant being used to close gaps, electrical outlets installed in the wrong places and in contrast to the designed drawings, improperly installed sprinklers, cable trays that interfere with signage, and gaps where walls and other structural elements meet throughout the ballpark.
In one instance, the report noted "daylight at intersection of exposed joints not installed to manufacturers specifications. Typical throughout project."
The report, dated Sept. 5, found repeated instances of "daylight" — around doors in premium suites, around ventilation and exhaust ducts, in the roof above the fireplace and sports bar, and in one case a gap in a men's room floor that allows one to see into the floor below.
The document also identifies errors in workmanship in the premium suites, including improperly installed tile, doors, electrical outlets and counter tops.
The report also included drawings that showed where the work was suppose to be done but wasn't.
The report does not address the cost or scope of the work that needs to be done to finish the ballpark.
A murder, mayhem and gunfire report will follow shortly.