The surface of The Pit was not as damaged as previously thought after the arena's malfunctioning fire-prevention system was triggered for the second time last month, dumping huge amounts of water onto the hardwood, according to officials from UNM's Athletics Department.
Scott Dotson, UNM's athletics director for facilities, said that at sometime on the night of May 22 one of the building's four sensor-activated "fire cannons" was triggered, dumping about 450,000 gallons of water onto the floor.
"Luckily, after we were able to thoroughly clean the area and assess the damage, we saw that the water damage was not as severe as we first expected," Dotson said, adding that the cost of replacing the destroyed portions of the floor will reach $75,000, including the repainting of the surface.
He said only 10-15 sections of the plywood surface underneath the maple floor will have to be replaced.
"Now that we have a firm grasp on the situation, we are doing our best to fix this problem as quickly as possible so that the summer activities scheduled in The Pit may resume."
Dotson said the University will use the same local flooring contractor who replaced The Pit's floor in 1996, and that the project is expected to be complete for the Lobo men's basketball camp starting on July 6.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Dotson said that while the investigation regarding the water damage was underway, four basketball camps had to be relocated to Johnson Gym and local high school gymnasiums.
Gloria Cavallari, UNM's risk management insurance and claims manager, said the cause of the malfunction is still unknown but that it is being investigated by the University's fire marshal.
Dotson said that although the mishap was unfortunate, The Pit's floor is insured so the incident was not disastrous.
"Luckily we had prepared for any such events, so from a financial standpoint the incident was not disastrous," Dotson said. "However, The Pit is a nationally renowned basketball arena and in replacing the floor we are replacing a part of its history."
Earlier in the month, The Pit's fire-prevention system had also malfunctioned during the Gathering of Nations Powwow, spewing water onto the crowds beneath, Dotson said. The damage on that occasion was minimal, though, because employees were in the building at the time.
The "fire cannons," which hang inconspicuously from the arena's mezzanine, has a sensor which is designed not to activate unless at least two of the system's four sensors tell them to.
The Pit, which opened in 1966 and has drawn acclaim for its subterranean architecture and was ranked as the 13th-best sports venue of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated, had its fire-prevention system installed in 1996 after the state's Fire Marshal's Office declared that the arena did not meet fire codes.
