Report on Valet Deck Project    May 26, 2015        

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THE VALET DECK PROJECT

On April 24, 2015, a change order (#20) was signed with CSI to act as the general contractor for the concrete restoration of the Valet Deck with structural repairs to the garage below the Deck including new main gate and pedestrian door at a cost of $2,098,000.00.

The work was to start on April 27 with a substantial completion date of December 15, 2015, subject to a $1,000.00 penalty. CSI could perform the work under the existing construction permit with the permission of the City.

A small group of individuals complained to the City of Hollywood that the permit was not valid for the work. As a result of these complaints, CSI had to apply to update the permit for the valet deck, the soffit area, the west pool deck bathroom and glass railings at an eventual, estimated cost to all of the unit owners of $15,000.00 or more.

The permit for the Valet Deck permit was approved on May 8 and the work was begun on May 11. The project was delayed by two weeks that will push completion from December 15, 2015, past New Year’s Day 2016.

The soffit area, the west pool deck bathroom and glass railings permits have not been approved and, as a result, completion and reopening of the West Pool Deck will be delayed. The City now wants to charge us an additional $1222.00 to expedite the permit process for the bathroom and glass railings in addition to the permit fee to be determined. The interference by these individuals has been costly to the Aquarius and a substantial interference with the unit owners’ enjoyment of the common areas of the condo.

The complaining individuals continue to object to the Assessment passed by the Board of Directors to obtain the funds to restore Aquarius. They say that the Valet Deck should only be fixed in part (the soffit and lighting areas) and the balance of the work done at some unspecified date in the future. This is bankrupt reasoning. This practice of patch repair is what has gotten Aquarius into its present, run-down condition that has devalued our units. This Board of Directors does not intend to push the problems down the road for the next Board.

In the Western portion of the garage, water pours into the garage when it rains and small chunks of concrete are falling. Some of the columns and beams show visible signs of the need for immediate repair. Areas where there are planters on the Valet deck and the fountain area are in serious trouble with substantial leaking. Some of the leaking planters have permeated into the ramps below and have damaged the ramps. The south perimeter wall of approximately 255LF is too heavy and requires that it be lightened to avoid a potential collapse. This condition has been known to exist by previous Boards, but has been ignored. Cars parked at ramps on the south side of the valet deck have had to be parked away from the bumpers to avoid a problem.

Our engineer identified 22 locations from a visible examination of the western portion of the garage where concrete restoration has to be done on the valet deck plus the 255LF of the South perimeter wall. Phase 1 includes the concrete restoration at the 22 locations and the removal of 255LF of the perimeter wall to be replaced by smaller wall with picket fencing to reduce the PSI load, additional concrete restoration of the valet deck, concrete restoration of the pool room on the valet deck with some type of shoring of the pool room itself where the concrete has been substantially weakened by 43 years of chlorine intrusion. Additionally, CSI found that the outside wall to which the main garage gate is attached is hollow and so weak that it can be move by a simple push of the hand. The engineer is drawing a plan to address the issue. Phase 1 also includes replacement of the garage doors and the pedestrian door.

Attached is the 5 phase diagram for the garage. Doing the valet deck in 5 phases was designed to prevent all of some 117 cars from being removed from the garage during the project. In Phase 1, only approximately 40 cars are affected and a lesser number will be affected in each of the remaining 4 phases. While this arrangement will add 2 months to the project, it avoids a total disruption for some 117 unit owners.

The time line for the Valet deck is attached. This assumes that the permit for the soffit will be approved before CSI reaches that stage of the project.

THE ASSESSMENT AND ADDITIONAL, SMALLER PROJECTS

The West Pool Deck was contracted for by the previous Board of Directors at a minimum price of $1,074,000.00. CSI was not hired as a general contractor, but only as one of the contractors. Separate contracts were signed with RTI for the bathroom, with Hollywood Stone for the pavers, with Reliable Pool for the pool, with Miami Awning for the canopy and with Allied Molded Products for the planters. CSI did not have control of these contractors and coordination of the trades was absent. Eventually, the CSI change orders to address items omitted from the original price amounted to $570,000.00. that is now part of the new assessment. A typical example of an omitted item is the planters, where the previous Board contracted for $47,000.00 of planters, but never signed a contract for their installation with earth and plants that fill the planters.

CSI is waiting for the bathroom and glass railing permits on the West Pool deck. The bathroom would have been completed by this date, but for the interference generated by those complaining individuals.

Reliable Pool reports that it will have the pool complete in 6 to 8 weeks.

Hollywood Stone will complete the paver punch list shortly. Because of problems with color on 3500sf of the pavers which is now substantially corrected, Artistic Pavers, the manufacturer of the pavers, is giving us a 5 year rather than a 1 year warranty on the pavers.

The previous Board neglected to contract with Hollywood Stone to power clean the pavers after installation. That will require additional money to be added to the West Pool project, in addition to the $570,000 debt that the previous Board left for the unit owners to pay.

The scope of work for the entire lobby reconstruction is in preparation and then will be out for bid and will be posted when the bids are received.

The equipment required for the a/c retrofit is in progress and awaits the report of the engineer.

The balconies, mold remediation, Shoring and 40 year electrical are self-explanatory.

This status report has been prepared by the Manager and the Board of Directors, after review by the President, Vice-President and Treasurer.

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