Construction on the White Park skate house has been delayed while the city repairs interior fire damage.
A pile of rags used to stain wood caught fire nearly two weeks ago in Concord’s newest building. The damage was mostly contained to the building’s lower floors, but the entire interior sustained smoke damage, according to Concord spokesperson Stefanie Breton.
It will take an estimated four to six weeks to repair the damage, Breton said in an email, which may threaten the opening of the skate house scheduled for April 20 of this year. Breton said city staff members are currently reviewing the schedule.
Smoke damage from the incident means several aspects of the building will need to be removed and replaced or repaired, Breton wrote.
That includes the interior sheetrock and insulation in the great room, as well as the room’s cathedral knotty pine ceilings. Portions of the concrete floors will also need to be repaired.
There is also a possibility that several windows will need to be replaced due to damaged interior trim. The building’s HVAC ductwork also needs to be cleaned and evaluated.
No interior work has been permitted at the skate house while the fire department and city and contractor insurance adjustors inspect the damage, Breton said.
Breton said work continues in the meantime on the exterior of the building. That work is largely focused on the installation of precast concrete retaining walls, as well as siding, decorative stone masonry and roofing.
It is anticipated that workers will be able to to get into the building next week so they can start removing damaged materials and cleaning any affected areas. That process is expected to take about a week and a half, Breton said.
(Caitlin Andrews can be reached at 369-3309, candrews@cmonitor.com or on Twitter at @ActualCAndrews.)