GALVESTON — Although The Home Depot has begun rebuilding its island store, the retailer said it still doesn’t know what caused the roof and several 30-ton wall panels to tumble during a severe thunderstorm late last month.
But if the home improvement giant uncovers the cause of the bizarre collapse at its store in the 6500 block of Interstate 45, will it tell the community?
“It’s too early to say,” said spokesman Jonathan Guerin.
Whether a private company such as The Home Depot is required to divulge its findings to the city also is unclear. Some city officials said they would have to review codes before answering.
Nearly two weeks after the roof failed, The Home Depot said it has learned little about the cause.
Cleaning up the site and shoring up the building has taken some time, Guerin said.
“They have begun to remove merchandise and are in the process of rebuilding,” Guerin said. “We still have not announced an opening date.”
No one was injured in the June 25 roof collapse, which occurred at about 6 a.m. near a joint at the front wall.
Prior to the collapse, some areas in the city reported 8.17 inches of rain in a four-day period.
The collapse could have been caused by such things as plugged drains, bad welds or design errors, say some structural engineers not involved in the building’s construction. Whatever the problem, it made the roof vulnerable to possibly several tons of water that probably pooled on the roof during heavy rainstorms, those engineers have speculated.
The city will request information about the cause of the roof’s collapse only as it relates to public safety and the reopening of the business, said Wendy O’Donohoe, the city’s planning director.
Any information The Home Depot passes on to the city about the roof’s collapse will be available to the public via Texas open records laws, O’Donohoe said.
The Home Depot is cooperating with the city, Guerin said.
“We continue to meet with the city and communicate on a regular basis,” he said.
The city already has issued building permits to the retailer to repair its sagging structure.
No one will be allowed to enter the building until the city deems it safe, O’Donohoe said.
The city deemed the building safe in January when it gave the retailer a certificate of occupancy. Prior to that, it operated under a temporary certificate of occupancy.
The Home Depot was the first anchor store at the redeveloped Galvez Mall. It opened in January 2003.
On any project, city inspectors check to see whether contractors are following construction plans and if a licensed engineer has approved those plans.
The Home Depot followed all the proper procedures, O’Donohoe has said.
Guerin on Tuesday said The Home Depot continues its investigation into the roof collapse.
Contractors and architects who built and designed the store have been silent about the island Home Depot incident.
Pompano Beach, Fla.-based Rockwell Construction has not returned phone calls. Columbus, Ohio-based architect firm WD Partners referred calls to the Home Depot.
Susie Green, the city’s attorney, said she would have to review city codes before knowing how much Home Depot is required to divulge to city officials about the cause of the collapse.
At press time, Green did not have an answer. City officials have not asked Green to review city codes to find an answer, she said.
