Announcement of Construction Work at Chancery Building and Event Center

Oct. 8, 2015
Announcement of Construction Work at Chancery Building and Event Center
To Parishes and Friends of the Diocese of Oakland,
Since the completion of the Chancery building and Event Center adjacent to the Cathedral of Christ the Light, the Cathedral Board of Directors has been monitoring outstanding construction issues. In a building project of this scale, it is typical for “punch list” repairs to be completed even after the buildings have been occupied. However, the Board became concerned that these “punch list” items have been recurring issues, most noticeably the cracks in the walls, doors that do not fully close and water intrusion. In follow-up meetings and communications with the architecture, engineering, and construction firms involved, we were advised that these issues were cosmetic, routine, and not a matter of concern. Based on the persistence and prevalence of these problems, the Board decided to engage independent consultants to get a second opinion.
As a result of engineering studies conducted by our consultants over the past nine months, we have identified various waterproofing and structural issues that need to be corrected, including excessive “sag” or deflection of the floor slabs. These design and construction-related issues are mostly confined to the Chancery building, parking garage and Event Center areas. The Cathedral of Christ the Light, which is a structurally separate building, the Cathedral mausoleum and the parish offices and meeting rooms are not impacted.
The Cathedral Center complex remains safe for our employees, visitors and parishioners to
occupy. However, in the event of a major earthquake our consultants believe that portions of the Chancery building, parking garage and Event Center may experience structural damage.
Building occupants will be able to safely exit, but the buildings would need to be closed for an extended period of time while repairs are made. Although similar damage is expected to occur to many Oakland buildings after a major earthquake, this is not the standard of quality that we paid for in a new building.
In the coming months, we will be undertaking a series of construction projects in the Chancery building and the parking garage underneath the Chancery and Event Center to begin addressing these issues. The Diocese has undertaken legal action to ensure that the responsible parties pay for the corrective work.
Cathedral board member Bill Utic, a licensed civil engineer and former PG&E building
management executive, will oversee this ongoing work for the Diocese. Given his experience in overseeing more than $1 billion of building construction projects during his corporate career, Bill has both the engineering knowledge and business acumen to effectively manage these projects for the Diocese. We are extremely grateful for his dedication and service.In the near-term, you may notice increased activity in the Chancery and parking garage, which may include engineers completing their surveying and evaluation, workers adjusting interior doors in the Chancery and making repairs that require temporarily removing ceiling tiles and closing spaces while work is under way, and fire alarms being tested throughout the complex.
Additional work expected to begin in the next few months includes relocating file cabinets in the Chancery building and installation of additional supports on the B2 parking level to reinforce the B1 parking level.
More specific details about the impact of this work on parking, upcoming Cathedral Center
events, and reorganization of Chancery work spaces will be forthcoming as soon as possible.
Bill Utic is working directly with our engineering consultants to prioritize, schedule, and execute the necessary work. Further analysis is also under way to determine what additional work may be required to meet the standards we require for the complex. As more information becomes available, I will keep you fully informed with regular updates.
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Very Reverend George Mockel
Vicar General
Chair of the Catholic Cathedral Corporation of the East Bay