Facing challenges

The courthouse, which was supposed to be ready in June 2015, was beset with problems throughout its construction. It didn’t open to the public until January 2017.

After opening, leaks surfaced during a strong rainstorm in June 2017. That’s when officials realized the windows and exterior walls were not properly sealed to keep water from entering the building. The problems continued during Hurricane Irma and subsequent rain events.

A definitive schedule for the fixes is still being developed, officials said.

Damaged drywall has been removed in a number of locations and won’t be replaced until officials are sure the leaking corrected.

The Weitz Co., which was hired by the county to manage the project, did an inspection and found that the edges of the building’s firerated floors were improperly sealed to protect against fire or smoke penetrating to different locations, which could cause a fire to spread. The sealant had been installed, inspected and approved, but later was damaged by other work being done and was then concealed, officials said.

Weitz has seen its workload expand because of construction delays and additional work. Its contract has grown from $9.4 million in 2010 to $20 million. That includes $1.3 million approved in September to oversee the management of the contractor’s remaining obligations and correction of its construction defects.

Crews are working nights and weekends to finish the job. has been