Title
Approving the use of RiverCentre Convention & Visitors Authority operating funds for capital improvements to the RiverCentre Parking Ramp as approved by the RiverCentre Convention & Visitors Authority Board.
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WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul (the “City”) is the owner of certain land and improvements situated thereon, located at 175 West Kellogg Boulevard, Saint Paul, Minnesota and commonly known as the RiverCentre Convention Center, the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and the RiverCentre Parking Ramp (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “RiverCentre”); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to authority granted by 2005 Minn. Laws, Chapter 152, Art. 1, Sections 1 and 38, the City has entered into an Agreement with the RiverCentre Convention & Visitors Authority, a Minnesota non-profit corporation (the “RCVA”), whereby the City has engaged the RCVA to, among other things, equip, maintain, manage, and operate the RiverCentre; and
WHEREAS, the Agreement made by and between the RCVA and the City requires, among other things, that the RCVA approve a Capital Budget annually and submit it to the City for its approval; and
WHEREAS, the RCVA Capital Budget for calendar year 2018 was approved by the RCVA on November 14, 2017, and was subsequently approved by the City; and
WHEREAS, on May 17, 2018, a piece of concrete “delaminated” and fell from the Parking Ramp ceiling; and
WHEREAS, in consultation with the City and the Building Official, the decision was made by RCVA staff to immediately close the Parking Ramp in the interest of public safety; and
WHEREAS, Reigstad and Associates (“Reigstad”) has performed a complete overhead delamination study of the Parking Ramp, including both destructive and non-destructive testing to identify and remove any pending delaminations; and
WHEREAS, the study performed by Reigstad concluded that the Parking Ramp is structurally sound and capable of supporting the necessary loads; and
WHEREAS, Reigstad has proposed a range of possible options to make the Parking Ramp safe for public use; and
WHEREAS, Reigstad has indicated that the most cautious and safest option-installing protective netting along the ceiling of the entire Parking Ramp, in conjunction with semi-annual re-inspections to identify and remove pending delaminations-would best ensure the safety of the public when using the Parking Ramp; and
WHEREAS, in light of the Reigstad study and proposed protective measures, the Building Official has agreed that the Parking Ramp is structurally sound and will be safe to reopen to the public upon completion of the protective measures; and
WHEREAS, the RCVA Board voted unanimously on June 27, 2018, to undertake the highest-safety option proposed by Reigstad, and reopen the Parking Ramp as the protective measures are completed, with no area of the Parking Ramp to be accessed by the public prior to completion of the protective measures; and
WHEREAS, due to the unanticipated need to repair the RiverCentre Parking Ramp and install netting, an additional $1,250,000 will be required for capital improvements beyond the funding included for capital improvements in the 2018 RiverCentre Capital Budget; and
WHEREAS, there is an additional $1,250,000 available in the RiverCentre Operating Account, held by the Saint Paul Arena Company; and
WHEREAS, the RCVA Board voted unanimously on June 27, 2018, to approve the use of $1,250,000 from the RiverCentre Operating Account for purposes of repairing the Parking Ramp and installing netting; and
WHEREAS, section 6.5(b) of the Agreement between the City and the RCVA requires that the City Council approve any material amendment to the RCVA Capital Budget after it has been approved; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Council approves the amendment of the RCVA 2018 Capital Budget as reflected in the attached resolutions, passed by the RCVA board on June 27, 2018.