LYNN – A total of nine cracks, or hairline fractures, have been identified in the brick facade of the new, $12 million Manning Field stadium ? only weeks after it officially opened.
According to Inspectional Services Director Michael Donovan, the cracks are easily replaceable and should not be a major concern to the public.
?We have an architect looking at the cracks now but at no point did people say, stop – we have a problem here,” he said. “It is a concern, but it?s not a monumental one.”
Donovan said some of the cracks in the facade might be due to the structural element, the design, thermal stress or a construction error in the project, but at this point, the cause remains unknown.
?We just don?t know right now, but they are common in new construction and I can point them out in any building that is being built,” he said. “This is basically an aesthetic thing because if you take out the bricks, the structure will still stand up.”
Having officially opened Monday, Sept. 8, the top-of-the-line facility has been in use since 2006 as the replacement of the former Manning Bowl.
In all, 4,000 permanent seats, a new parking lot, press box and numerous other bells and whistles make up the stadium.
City officials are in the midst of discussing whether a ticket surcharge up to 50 cents could be tacked on to the cost of attending a game to pay for upkeep and maintenance of the stadium, but a decision has yet to be made.
While Donovan stressed the cracks are not due to existing moisture and do not pose a safety hazard, the problem has raised a few eyebrows.
?We?re still scratching our heads as to why this happened,” he said. “There may be many different reasons for the cracks and that is why we have design engineers looking at it. If it is due to the contractor, we will have him fix it. If it?s due to a non-structural flaw, we may still have the contractor fix it or replace the bricks ourselves.”
Aside from the cracks, Donovan said there are eight other items on the city?s checklist to fix and/or finish, including several minor roof leaks and patching.
?The contractor is whittling them down,” he said.