Politics & Government

Park District Amends Counterclaim, Files 3rd Party Claim in Ackerman Center Roof Battle

The Glen Ellyn Park District has filed a third-party complaint against the architect, construction manager and insurance company associated with the Ackerman Sports & Fitness Center construction project.

As roof repairs are underway at the Glen Ellyn Park District’s , the Park District has amended its legal counterclaim against T.A. Bowman related to the center’s leaky roof. 

The said late Wednesday that it had amended its counterclaim against T.A. Bowman Constructors and filed a third party complaint against two additional contractors associated with the Ackerman construction project. 

The third-party complaint names Ollmann Ernest Architects of Belvidere, construction manager Professional Building Services, Inc. of Crete and Employers Mutual Casualty Company, according to the Glenn Ellyn Park District. 

Find out what's happening in Glen Ellynwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

With the suit, the Glen Ellyn Park District hopes to recoup any and all costs related to the roof’s repairs, the Park District said in a news release.

In June 2011,  that the Park District had terminated its contract with T.A. Bowman Construction as well as Ollmann Ernest Architects. The contract termination stemmed from ongoing leaking at the 88,000 square foot fitness center, which was ongoing for months. 

Find out what's happening in Glen Ellynwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The firm of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates evaluated the roof and made recommendations for repairs, according to the Park District. Those recommendations included a temporary fix, which was put in place last winter, along with a plan to overclad the existing roof with an insulated and adhered single-ply membrane.

“It is unfortunate that the Park District has to expend the money to repair the roof; however we believe it is in the Park District’s best interests to fix the problems as soon as possible while at the same time pursuing legal action to recoup those costs,” Dave Harris, Glen Ellyn Park District executive director said in the news release.

The Park District Board approved a contract with West Chicago firm Solaris Roofing Solutions to implement the long-term repair, the Park District said. The cost of the repair will cost $679,125 and the work is currently underway and should be complete by fall. Funding for the project will come from capital funds that were put in reserve to fund the project.

“We’re confident this repair work will give us a permanent solution for our leaky roof at Ackerman,” Melissa Creech, Glen Ellyn Park District Board president said in a news release. “It is important to fix all of the problems before the interior of our building is further damaged. By investing in a long-term solution now we can avoid a vicious cycle of temporary patches to the roof and expensive repairs for years to come.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here