Mayor Says They Will Be Solved
posted March 25, 2008
The city is dealing with a variety of problems at the $120 million 21st Century Waterfront - ranging from shifted concrete slabs to water and electrical issues, vandalism and theft.
But Mayor Ron Littlefield said the city will work through the string of complex issues. He said, "I am confident that solutions will be found."
The City Council on Tuesday approved paying $48,701 to Dotan Construction to remove old caulk and apply new caulk on 7,000 linear feet of concrete slabs at Ross's Landing.
Mayor Littlefield said the slabs became uneven during settling, and had to be put back into alignment by a "mudjacking" process.
He said work continues on analyzing problems at The Passage next to the Market Street Bridge and the new section of the Aquarium.
Expert consultants are determining "the issues, how deep the problems go, and the cost to fix them."
Officials said the city may ultimately try to gain reimbursement from either the contractor or the designer, or both.
Mayor Littlefield said, "The Passage remains closed, but, no, it will not remain closed forever."
Larry Zehnder, city parks and recreation director, said brass name plates began disappearing on the Walnut Street Bridge and apparently were being sold for their metal value.
He said after a newspaper article drew attention to the worth of the name plates imbedded in wooden boards on the bridge that he directed that the remaining 800 plates be taken up. He said he does not know how many were stolen.
Mr. Zehnder said city officials are determining how to construct a "non-valuable" memorial to those who contributed to saving and refurbishing the popular walking bridge. He said he also does not know what he will do with the 800 name plates.
He said they may be returned to family members or used somehow in a new memorial.
Officials also cited damage to public art near the waterfront.
Rachel Hildebrandt, the city's new public art coordinator, said a piece called "Chicago Whatnot" on First Street was damaged by juveniles. She said the piece earlier stood in Chicago's Lincoln Park without being bothered.
Ms. Hildebrandt also said there was damage to a mobile sculpture on First Street, and the English artist who created it and an assistant are coming next week to fix it. The sculpture, known as "Poise", was purchased for the city by the Rotary Club.
Ms. Hildebrandt said the sculpture is not meant to be kicked or pushed to make it move. She said there will be hedges and a small fence added to try to keep it from being further damaged.
She said the current batch of public art will be going away unless some of it is purchased.
That includes the "Beefsteak" sculpture now at Phillips Park once referred to by Councilman Manny Rico as "a basket of rocks".
Ms. Hildebrandt said the crow pieces near the Chattanooga Green are made of cardboard and electrical tape and are deteriorating.
She said there will be a competition soon for seven new art pieces.
Councilwoman Sally Robinson noted that the mayor said those selected should be "extremely durable".
Mr. Zehnder said it has been determined that costly damage done to the Holmberg Bridge leading to the Hunter Museum over Riverfront Parkway was caused by vandals. But he said no one was seen hitting the glass pieces and breaking them.
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