Cape May Convention Hall

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Convention Hall The City has just received a structural analysis of Convention Hall. Due to the importance of this project, the City selected the firm Pennoni Associates Incorporated out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a well-known and respected engineering company, to perform this analysis. They are a multi-disciplined, consulting engineering firm employing approximately 850 professional, technical, and administrative personnel in 20 offices throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, New England, Maryland, and New York. They were recently ranked #4 of the 25 best engineering firms by the "Philadelphia Business Journal". Quoting from their report: "Serious structural deficiencies were observed in all six bays, not just the bays closest to the ocean. We find that compared to the observations noted in the last RVWE inspection in March 2007, due to the unabated and continued deterioration, the structural condition has worsened in the past year." "The present condition of the Convention Hall is structurally unsound. Due to the amount of deterioration observed, the structural integrity of the floor framing is severely compromised. It is our professional opinion that this building be closed to public use until repairs can be performed in accordance with the recommendations outlined in the RVWE reports." Upon receiving this recommendation, an inquiry was made as to weather the building could remain open while remediation measures were taken. We were informed that it must be closed immediately. After reviewing this assessment, and considering the recommendations of our professionals, the City, in the interest of public safety, will no longer make the building available to the general public, effective immediately. Were the City to allow the operation of the building to continue, in light of the information provided to us, it would be a significant liability and we will not jeopardize public safety. We are currently investigating what additional options may be available to address the structural issues to make the building safe in order to allow future scheduled events to continue through the end of the summer. We are also consulting with those groups who will be affected in the short term by this closure and are helping to find alternate locations to allow their functions to occur. We are also reviewing a number of potential short-term fixes. It is our intention to determine if an economically feasible solution to the problem exists, as soon as possible, so as to be able to advise all scheduled users of the building as to the viability of having it available for their planned use. As additional information becomes available, it will be released to both the public and the press. City Manager Reappointment Today the Committee to Evaluate the City Manager

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