Who will pay for $10M stadium fix?

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - While the Indianapolis Colts prepare for the home opener at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday, another fight is going on at the stadium.

It's about money and plumbing.

It's a problem that's been a battle for the state for more than two years. In this case, the home team expects to win, but right now, it's about $10 million behind.

Lucas Oil Stadium has been up and running for four years now.

"But we do have this one plumbing mediation claim that we're settling at the legal table at Lucas Oil Stadium," says John Klipsch, Executive Director of the Indiana Stadium Authority.

Klipsch has been with the project since it started in 2005. Once full time with a full staff, he's a part-timer now and the only person left on his team.

"The insurers and the bond company are liable for some mistake and we are going to work toward getting that mistake rectified," Klipsch says.

24-Hour News 8 reported in March 2011 that plumbing in the basement of the nearly brand new building was already going bad. Corrosion in about a mile and a half of pipes that carried water to concession stands and restrooms caused leaks.

Last year, stainless steel and copper replaced the leaking galvanized pipes, fixing the problem. But who messed up and who will pay the nearly $10 million bill to fix the mess is still unresolved.

"Well it's a complicated process on who all's at fault here. But it's a combination between the plumber that went out of business, some (of) his suppliers and the kind of material that was used and possibly some design issues that have to be explored," Klipsch says.

While the battle over the plumbing payments is being fought, a reserve fund has covered the costs. Klipsch will stay on, fighting to get the money back to replenish the reserves.

"We're negotiating to get everybody to the mediation table. So it's going to take weeks, months to get this mediation going," he says.

And getting everyone to the mediation table is just the start. Then, each side will fight to keep from paying any more than it has to.

Klipsch also was in charge of overseeing the convention center expansion construction project. There is only one issue remaining there. It's a redo on part of the sidewalk at the Capitol Street entrance. But Klipsch says solving that issue is not expected to be a big problem.