The Dispatch wrote
After flood, convention center set to reopen
Structural integrity not compromised by break of uncharted waterline
Thursday, January 10, 2008
BY ROBERT VITALE AND BILL BUSH
No one knew that a 1930s-era water main ended directly beneath a $77 million wing of the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
They learned about it early yesterday, when a break flooded the Downtown building from end to end, pushing a section of thick concrete floor 2 feet into the air, soaking carpets and shoving room dividers and drywall into the ceilings.
For a time, Columbus Division of Fire officials feared a section of the building might collapse or need to be condemned, but it’s still sound.
Managers said last night that two concourses with the worst damage will be repaired in plenty of time for the Arnold Sports Festival that begins Feb. 28.
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