The provincial opposition has requested an audit on the construction of Investors Group Field.

Following allegations of political interference in the project, the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives wrote Manitoba’s auditor general to ask for a value-for-money audit of the $209-million project. Its original price tag was $115 million.

“Clearly this is costing Manitoba taxpayers a lot more than they originally signed up for. The question is how much and who’s responsible. And we believe the only way to get to the bottom of those questions is by way of an independent audit,” said Heather Stefanson, the party’s deputy leader.

If an audit doesn’t occur and the Tories win the next election, party leader Brian Pallister vowed to audit the project at that point.

Late last month, construction company Stuart Olson alleged the provincial government pushed for Winnipeg’s football stadium to be built too fast and too cheap. President and CEO David LeMay said his company sent more than 500 requests for information about potential issues during the build to Triple B Stadium Inc. and other stakeholders, including the Selinger government.

The company also filed a statement of defence in response to a suit filed in March by Triple B, which blamed the construction company for poor drainage, insufficient insulation, badly poured concrete and other stadium issues now expected to cost tens of millions of dollars to fix.

In an e-mail Thursday, Evan Johnston, a vice-president at Stuart Olson, stressed the company stands by its work.

“We built the Investors Group Field that the client ordered,” wrote Johnston. “We would obviously co-operate in respect to any independent inquiry.”

But Infrastructure Minister Steve Ashton wouldn’t commit to second the request for an audit, only stating his government would co-operate with any investigation that occurs.

Ashton stressed the stadium is a great asset to Manitobans and clearly was not a “rushed” job.

“When it became clear it couldn’t be completed on the original deadline, it was put back by a year. I think we’d be subject to criticism from Manitobans if we had been continuing to delay in terms of this,” said Ashton.

Ashton did not directly answer if he felt confident that his government would be cleared of any wrongdoing if an audit occurred.

The Selinger government gave $22.5 million to the 33,500-seat stadium, which opened in 2013, and loaned Triple B another $160 million to help finance construction.

An official with Triple B could not be reached for comment as of Thursday afternoon. Phil Sheegl, the shell company’s former chair, alleged last year that the Selinger government ignored design deficiencies to push the project forward before the 2011 provincial election.

Excerpts from Stuart Olson's statement of defence:

"(BBB Stadium) and its stakeholder, the Province of Manitoba, made the key decisions and provided approvals throughout the construction of the project, regarding the timeline, budget, location and design of the project. The budget established for the project was lower than that for most comparable projects. The timeline established for the project was shorter than that applied to most comparable projects. These decisions were made in accordance with the political and financial requirements of (BBB Stadium's) stakeholder, the Province of Manitoba."

(BBB Stadium) and ... the Province of Manitoba knowingly approved a design without regard for the problems that (BBB Stadium) now pleads as being the responsibility of Stuart Olson."

"(BBB Stadium) and the Province of Manitoba made many decisions with respect to the construction and design of the field without first adequately taking the time to consider many details, including, for example, what concessions would be installed at IG Field, operational logistics reviews, media broadcast requirements, air structure feasibility, and winter use."

ANOTHER CRACK IN THE WALL

Problems have plagued Investors Group Field since the beginning. Here are the lowlights:

Delays

The stadium opened a year later than scheduled, with officials blaming — among other things — the wind.

Obstructed views

Season ticket holders were offered deep discounts or moved to new seats because of obstructed views after the 2012 season. Some of the upper-deck seats were blocked from seeing the sideline closest to them due to railings. It is also difficult to see the corners of the end zones, which are extremely close to the concrete wall that surrounds the field in many P6 seats.

Cracks

Gaps in the new concrete — some as big as a centimetre wide — appeared all over the brand-new stadium in June 2013. An engineer told the Sun that cracks could have been prevented by allowing the contract to cure, and such long and widespread cracks could be an indication that something is seriously wrong. BBB said the contractor was responsible to fix it.

Borrowing more

After Triple B had to borrow $10 million to complete the place, in 2014 the province coughed up another $3 million to make it more usable in cold weather.

Lien

Stuart Olson Dominion placed a lien against BBB Stadium Inc. Jan. 10, 2014, claiming ownership of the stadium until $1.9 million was paid up. It had suspended work in November 2013 until it got paid, then quickly retracted that decision. The province eventually kicked in another $1.5 million for construction overruns.

Press box

The original press box offered horrible sight lines for all but a few seats. The only way to watch the game was outside — not practical in Winnipeg during a November Grey Cup. The Bombers promised FIFA upgraded space for up to 300 media before the Women's World Cup comes, but it certainly would have been cheaper to do upfront.

Flooding

Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage was caused to luxury suites in April 2014 flooding. Collapsing ceilings, soaked carpets, even a pail to catch water in the visitors locker-room were reported by an eyewitness, who said the water came from snow on the roof melting straight up against the doors to the suites. About 46 were damaged.

Secrecy

The Bombers insisted the flooding was no big deal, and the approximate $500,000 cost would be covered by insurance. “You’re not getting in there to have a look at it,” Miller told Paul Friesen April 8, 2014. “The stadium is closed.” Friesen's retort: "Excuse me, but when did Wade Miller get the right to open and close this jewel of the CFL as he sees fit? This isn’t his house. This is our place. Paid for with at least $200 million in hard-earned, taxpayer’s cash. Public money, public building."

joyanne.pursaga@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @pursagawpgsun