DPW: GRRI plantings survived extreme weather but city flags installation defects; $200,000 withheld

Rob Perry said the trees planted under the Downtown Revitalization/GRRI project have new growth and appear to have survived last summer’s heat and the extreme freeze this past winter. "You know, picture one just shows, you know, the trees in fact have leaves on them," he said.

At the same time, Perry described masonry and installation defects on granite sets adjacent to the plantings: inconsistent gaps, tipped pieces and uneven finishes that can create trip hazards. He said some work was performed by a subcontractor from Louisiana that previously raised workmanship concerns and that the city has treated current repairs as warranty work.

Perry said the city withheld $200,000 from a prior pay request related to work done last July; current repairs are being addressed under the warranty rather than as a new payment. He noted a separate CAC-led planting along Harry Howard Avenue had about 11 problem trees of 50 and that warranty claims were pursued successfully there.

What’s next: DPW is pursuing warranty corrections with the contractor and monitoring supplemental watering; staff said they will continue to document and require fixes where installations fail.