by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
A City engineer charged with overseeing the Better Jacksonville Plan blamed a communication breakdown for the construction of two useless barns at a cost of $405,000.
The barns were supposed to provide space for 300 horses, allowing the facility manager, SMG, to book regional horse shows. Instead the barns were built without necessary permits and in violation of State building codes and now sit empty. The need for the permits was lost in the rush to complete construction on the $32 million facility earlier this year, according to a memo from Rex Holmlin, a project manager for Public Works and program principal for the Better Jacksonville Plan, which paid for most of construction.
Holmlin wrote the memo to Chief Operating Officer Dan Kleman in response to Kleman’s demand for an explanation. In the memo, Holmlin took responsibility for the oversight.
The confusion began when the City made a late decision to build the temporary barns. The Equestrian Center was supposed to open in March with two permanent barns, but the City was forced to change its plans when private fundraising fell far short of the $5 million promised. The City pitched in an additional $1.1 million to build a permanent barn and decided in late 2003 to build the temporary barns.
Because they weren’t intended as permanent parts of the Equestrian Center, neither the City nor the contractor saw the need to permit the temporary barns, said Holmlin. By the time the City’s Building Department determined permits were necessary, the barns had been built.
The out-of-state contractor wasn’t aware of Florida codes, which require structures to be able to withstand hurricane - force winds up to 100 miles per hour. As a result, the buildings did not satisfy State codes upon their completion.
Ironically, the structures weathered Tropical Storm Frances well over the weekend. One of the roofs started to tear loose and had to be held down with sandbags, but otherwise the structures were sound. The permanent barn became an animal storm shelter of sorts, providing refuge for about 80 horses whose owners fled the storm.
The barns were also built a foot too low, creating drainage problems. Holmlin said the temporary structures lack footings featured on the permanent barns, meaning they sit too low to the ground.
SMG management met with City representatives Tuesday to discuss fixes. SMG hired an engineering consultant to review the plans and determine what’s necessary to bring the barns up to code.
The drainage appears to pose the biggest complications. Either a series of swales, catch basins and pipes will have to be built to route incoming water into a nearby storm manhole, or the barns will have to to be dismantled and rebuilt one foot higher off the ground, according to Holmlin.
The repair costs won’t be known until the consultant finishes the engineering assessment. Holmlin said that should take about a month.
In the meantime, SMG is holding off on booking shows that were supposed to bring in enough operating revenue to keep the City from subsidizing the facility.
Without the barns, SMG cannot book the big shows envisioned when ground was broken on the facility said SMG general manager Bob Downey.
“The bigger shows book a year or two in advance, and we can’t tell anyone what we’ll have a year from now,” said Downey. “It’s kind of like having a big convention center with no hotel. You can’t do any big conventions because there’s no place for anybody to stay.”
Once the barns are brought up to code, Downey said Jacksonville could attract regional shows. Revenue from those shows will eventually pay for more barns, which will allow the City to attract large, national shows. At that point Jacksonville will start feeling the facility’s economic impact in hotels and restaurants, said Downey.
“We’re all very happy with what we have. If we can figure out a way to work through some of the opening issues, it’s going to be a very successful project once it’s up and running,” said Downey.