A portion of the Carson City Senior Center is now closed off as a safety precaution because of water damage discovered underneath the building.
The Carson City Public Works detected the damage when a facilities group crew was there installing an outdoor electrical outlet in late October, said Darren Schulz, Public Works director.
What they found was moisture and apparent rot in the wooden floor joists that run underneath the building.
The cause is unknown and is being investigated by Public Works, which could take a few months, said Schulz.
A water main does run beneath Beverly Drive where the senior center is located, but no pipes are directly underneath the building.
Schulz said the source of the moisture isn’t wastewater, but it’s unclear whether it’s stormwater or drinking water.
The city also checked on the Carson City Health and Human Services building, which is on Long Street behind the senior center, but no problems were discovered there, said Nick Marano, Carson City manager.
A structural engineering consultant has been to the site and is expected to deliver a report to Public Works next week outlining the extent of the problem and what needs to be done.
The city’s insurance adjuster also has been there and is awaiting the structural engineering report and the outcome of the investigation before determining if the carrier will pay a claim.
If the claim is rejected, the city will pay for the work out of its contingency or maintenance funds, Marano said.
In the meantime, the structural engineer will begin to design the rehab project and the city can issue a request for proposal for construction even if the cause hasn’t been determined yet.
“The fix of the floor can go on full steam ahead,” said Schulz.
The closed off area is a wing of the 12 year-old, 19,000 square foot addition to the 26 year-old senior center.
Some activities that usually take place in rooms there, such as exercise classes and card games, have been relocated to other parts of the expansive building, said Courtney Warner, executive director.
But the wing also houses a busy computer room with 13 computers, the library, a billiards table and a lapidary room with equipment to cut, polish and work on gems.
Warner said the center is working on a plan to move all the equipment and items to other parts of the building so people can continue to use them.
“We moved the ping pong table to the Kiwanis room. And we’re gearing up for AARP doing taxes here,” said Warner. “We are trying to minimize the disruption as much as possible.”
The senior center serves lunch on average to 180 people a day and hosts at least a dozen activities daily, including card games such as Cribbage, exercise classes including yoga, and support services and classes such as Medicare assistance and Alzheimer management.
The senior center is operated by the city and the Carson City Senior Citizens Center Inc., a nonprofit formed in 1976 to sponsor senior programs.
The city owns all the real property, including the building.
The situation came up at the Board of Supervisors meeting Thursday, when Don Leonard spoke during public comment, saying he hoped to bring attention to it because public comment in August concerning the city’s Aquatic Facility resulted in repairs there.