Another stop-work order vs IPI

Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC’s chief engineer Eric Poon discusses Imperial Pacific Resort’s construction progress before the Commonwealth Casino Commission during CCC board’s monthly meeting at the CCC conference room at Springs Plaza in Gualo Rai last Wednesday. (FERDIE DE LA TORRE)

The Department of Public Works issued last Dec. 29 a second notice of stop-work order against Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC at its Imperial Palace Resort project in Garapan until it submits some documents to DPW building safety officer.

IPI chief engineer Eric Poon disclosed DPW’s second stop-work order during the Commonwealth Casino Commission board’s monthly meeting at the CCC conference room at Springs Plaza in Rualo Rai last Wednesday.

Poon said this second DPW stop-work order is a little bit different from the first order, which completely shut down the entire jobsite.

Poon said the latest order suspends all work on Level 14 of the hotel’s tower project until shop drawings and revised plans are submitted to and approved by DPW’s Building Safety officer.

Poon said the second order also suspends all electrical, mechanical, and structural works until special inspectors are on board and approved by DPW’s Building Safety officer. He said they are working with a third-party company from Guam on this item. Poon said they, however, have yet to execute a contract agreement with the Guam company. As soon as they have new information, Poon said they will share that to CCC.

He said DPW’s second order, however, allowed IPI to work on landscaping and installation partitions, provided that IPI follow the drawings submitted and approved by DPW’s Building Safety officer.

“So basically right now, the workers are following the drawings approved by DPW. And that’s the item that we are allowed to work,” Poon said.

CCC Division of Enforcement & Investigations manager Vicente B. Babauta told Poon that DPW’s stop-work order was issued on Dec. 29 and that IPI has been given 15 days to resolve the issues.

Poon explained that they already submitted the package to DPW and that they are just waiting for DPW to review it. He said they have been talking with DPW if there is any additional information that they need to provide them.

Babauta stated that Jan. 15, 2021, was the last day for IPI to correct some issues and that, as of that morning last Wednesday, they verified with DPW’s Building Safety Code Division representative/inspector Gani Salazar, who is in charge of the issuance of the stop-work order, that DPW might issue a complete shutdown of construction that same day, Wednesday. Poon replied that he’s not aware of that.

IPI received the first stop-work order from DPW last Oct. 27.

In the stop-work order, DPW suspended all construction work from the tower hotel’s Level 3 to Sky Level 14 until shop drawings and revised plans are submitted to and approved by DPW’s Building Safety officer.

DPW also suspended all welding work until special inspectors are on board and approved by the Building Safety officers.

Last Nov. 25, DPW allowed IPI to resume construction work at tower hotel’s levels 3 to 13 after IPI has complied with DPW’s Building Safety Code Division’s requirement.

Salazar, however, stated then that IPI cannot work on tower hotel’s Level 14 unless they submit to them shop drawings and revised plan for that floor.