High School Auditorium Damage To Cost $2.5 Million

Windsor Public Schools' insurance company recently determined that necessary repairs to the damage of Windsor High School's auditorium in February 2011 will carry a hefty price tag, according to Public Building Commission Chair Joe Novak.

Novak recently addressed the town council, reporting that Traveler's Insurance has estimated that repairs to or replacement of the failed structure will cost between $2.5 and $2.9 million.

The focus now, Novak told council members, is figuring out whether making repairs or completely replacing the structure will be the soundest economic decision.

The monetary difference between the two, Novak said, is only about $75,000.

Novak told the council last month that , as orginally believed.

The engineer found that welds within the roof were only partially welded. The fatigue over time, not the accumulation of snow on the roof, caused the failure.

This time around, Novak said, all welds that will be made "are to be visually inspected... tested by ultrasound and infrared" to ensure a complete weld has been made.

The good news for the district is that the town will only be financially responsible for removing the current structure.