Port gets update on leaks on Henley Court

Ferguson

Gazette intern reporter

Port of Whitman commissioners May 5 discussed needed repairs to the roof of the Henley Court Building in Pullman. The building was built by two different contractors and two different roof manufacturers, said Port officials. The two roofs were installed in two phases starting in 2005 and 2006 by Firestone Roofing Systems of Spokane and Stevens Roofing Systems (now DOW Roofing Systems). The two phases of the building include phase one, which is the smaller portion of the building and phase two, which is the larger portion.

The Port has already contracted work through COBRA, a building contractor, on completing patching the leaks under warranty coverage.

Phase one, which was completed last week, included work on the portion of the building that houses Galexis Technologies and the Palouse Conservation District.

Phase two, which will be completed in the next couple of weeks, will include repairs to the other half of the building where Digilent Inc. and Merry Cellars Winery is located.

“A couple of our employees have been displaced due to water dripping on computers,” said Joe Harris of Digilent Inc.

“But I have strong faith that the Port will do the best they can to repair it.”

The majority of the cost replacing both roofs, which is a projected $80,000, is expected to be placed in the Port budget.

The Port at present is just concerned with keeping an eye on the roofs and continuing repairs as needed until the warranties end, which is in 2020 and 2021.

“Bottom line is the roofs will be repaired in 2020, and until then we’re going to keep them alive and continue to budget out all expenses,” said Joe Poire executive director.