Millions on a leaking roof

The only thing that seems to be more constant than the water leaking through the roof at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center is the millions of dollars spent in repairs and replacement. And there is no telling when the spigot will be closed.

Last month, the Sports & Exhibition Authority approved spending $9.9 million to replace the center’s fourth-floor terrace. The 40,490square-foot flat roof is one of several roofs at the convention center that have been leaking since the facility opened in 2003. In fact, it’s the third time since 2018 that millions have been committed to replacement.

In July 2019, the SEA spent nearly $1.9 million to replace a flat roof on the third floor of the building and two others on the fourth floor. In September 2018, the repair bill was $4 millon to replace a fourth-floor public terrace that doubles as a flat roof.

That’s nearly $16 million in a threeyear span to replace flat roofs at the center that seem to be always leaking. And that doesn’t include money spent over time trying to repair the leaks.

The nearly two dozen flat roofs of the convention center have been an issue nearly from the start. In 2011, the SEA received a $1.86 million settlement related to the leaks in the flat roofs, but repair costs have soared in the decade since.

SEA Executive Director Mary Conturo said that through the years the various flat roofs on the center have been replaced, and the latest project will replace the second half of the largest portion of flat roof using an improved design.

There is a considerable number of tax dollars committed to the convention center through the Regional Asset District funds, the state Economic Development and Tourism Fund, and Allegheny County’s hotel tax. Taxpayers should wonder if this is an ongoing case of throwing good money after bad.

With nearly $10 million committed in the latest repair project, the SEA needs to be sure the design and construction of the latest replacement will resolve the problem. Without such due diligence, the SEA will be facing the question of just how much more will be spent on a never-ending patchwork of fixes. The trickling waste of money must end.