Wilmington Wants Contractor To Pay For High School Gym Floor

WILMINGTON, MA — Officials in Wilmington will try to get the contractor that built Wilmington High School to pay for replacing the gym floor. Since the school opened in 2015, panels have been crimping. Efforts to fix the problem with dehumidifiers and fans, as recommended by the contractor that built the school, have not worked, Town Manager Jeffrey Hull told selectmen Monday.

Hull said the project’s design firm Dore & Whittier and contractor Gilbane Co. have said the crimping is "a natural part of acclimation." The town has solicited bids ranging from $219,200 to $268,666.

"The townspeople paid for a gym floor that was going to function the way it is intended to," Hull said. "It’s the town’s position that the floor needs to be replaced."

Hull expects the town will go to mediation to recover the costs of replacing the floor. "It should be loud and clear that the town shouldn’t be paying a penny for it. It’s the contractors fault and they’re trying to say it’s not," Selectman Michael McCoy said.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).