Squirrel died after causing an estimated $300,000 damage to a newly established McMillen Community Center that is scheduled to open this June 2014 at Fort Wayne, In., officials confirmed the reports on Friday.
The unfortunate squirrel was able to enter the electrical area of the park on April 1, damaging the heating and air conditioning systems. Power surge were also reported to have been the effect of the unexpected rodent issue, which also affected some parts of the boiler system, the Parks Department officials informed the board members on Thursday.
The squirrel was also reported to have not survived the incident. Parks Director Al Moll informed the public that the community center insurance coverage will handle the cost of repairs and fixtures, subtracting $50,000 from the department's deductible.
The scheduled opening of the community center on June 7 this year, is still possible, while workers are on the job to fix and make repairs on time. Steve McDaniel from the Parks Department said that the company who installed the heater and air conditioning systems are also up to speed in replacing the damage units.
The new community center was once the McMillen Ice Arena after it was closed down in 2009. The project to modify and change the Ice Arena started with a $1.9 million budget, to create a new community center that will have different amenities like, basketball courts, volleyball courts, indoor track, soccer field, and more. The community center will also have multipurpose meeting rooms available. The budget for the transformation was estimated to reach $4.5 million.
Mayor Tom Henry of Fort Wayne announced the launch of the project September last year, including the selected contractors that will be renovating area to a new community center. The mayor also gave a statement saying, "The McMillen Community Center is going to be a tremendous investment. City Councilman Glynn Hines and citizens in southeast Fort Wayne have been champions on this effort. We look forward to the entire community being able to use and enjoy this unique and needed destination place".
The squirrel that died while damaging the new community with a $300,000 estimated cost, gave some difficulties for the completion of the project.
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