The cost of a new roof for the Vicksburg Convention Center has increased by more than $250,000 in the wake of an architect’s report that pointed out several problems in its construction.

City Attorney Nancy Thomas said Thursday the report by JH&H Architects of Jackson, which examined the roof, the roof drains and the air conditioner system drains, indicated there were places on the 18-year-old building’s roof where the flashing, sheet metal used in waterproofing the roof, was either improperly installed or not installed at all.

The roof has been patched since it was installed, but never replaced, city building maintenance supervisor Sammie Rainey said. “It can’t be patched any more,” he said.

The city is responsible for the convention center’s maintenance.

Rainey said the roof leaks on the northwest and southwest corners of the building, adding, “there are spots on that roof that are age-worn. Those roofs aren’t built to last forever; they only last so long.”

Thomas said JH&H set the estimate to repair just the roof at $350,000, but the additional work to install drain pipes under the building’s air conditioning units and install or replace flashing has increased the estimate to more than $600,000.

The roof’s situation isn’t the only leak problem at the convention center.

Thomas said the Board of Mayor and Aldermen are expected May 8 to hire JH&H to assess possible problems with the center’s windows.

“We’re going to ask them to do some testing on the windows that leak,” she said. She said the tests will include “a water test to try and figure out whether or nor we just need to replace the windows or put in flashing or some other improvements to make them water tight.”

She said one problem area is on the building’s south side, where the convention center’s elevator and escalator are located. She said the city had to repair the escalator two years ago because of water damage from a leak.

Rainey said the windows are vacuum-sealed and that seal is now deteriorating.

“They look old and dingy and nasty,” he said. The windows, he said, have not leaked as far as he knows.

He believes the leak in the vicinity of the elevator came from roof. “The wind has to be blowing from a certain direction and it has to be a heavy rain (for the area to leak),” he said.

With the convention center, Thomas said, the capital improvements committee’s philosophy was “we need to fix all those issues when we put the roof on, or putting a new roof on isn’t going to do any good.”

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said he is not surprised by the estimates.

“The building is 18 years old and hasn’t had anything significantly done to it. The original carpeting is in there,” he said.

“I commend the (capital improvements) committee because what I think they’re doing is erring on the side of caution and future problems,” he said. “We’re trying to improve and maintain these buildings.”

Flaggs said the city has not made any capital improvements to the convention center since it was built. “That’s remarkable that you haven’t had more damage than you’ve had,” he said. “They’ve been operating off maintenance.”

Built at total cost of $12 million, the Vicksburg Convention Center was opened in August 1997.

After the center was built, the city and Yates Construction Co. became embroiled in a dispute over workmanship on the center, which included cracks in the concrete floor of the exhibition hall, uneven corridors, the primer and paint used on the joints and air conditioning ducts, the hall’s ceiling, brick masonry and the installation of flashing. The dispute was resolved through arbitration, with a ruling in favor of the contractor.