Experience & expertise

The fire occurred in January, and restoration of the Whitecaps' stadium was a big undertaking since the entire first-base side of the ballpark was decimated by the blaze. Home plate and the third-base side saw less structural damage, but smoke and water damage in those areas presented additional problems for the reconstruction team. Luckily for the Whitecaps, this wasn't the first stadium loss for Chubb's claims team. When an even bigger stadium was under construction, a strong wind gust brought down a million-pound right-field panel that had been suspended from a large crane, destroying part of the facility and delaying the opening of the ballpark by a year.

From this experience, the insurer understood what was needed for a quick and successful rebuild, and started the process by hiring experts. The construction firm that built the Fifth Third Ballpark in 2002 was brought back because of its intimate knowledge of the stadium. To help ensure efficiency and speed, Chubb brought in an experienced construction-management consultant. For six weeks, the consultant remained on site, nearly full-time, meeting with the construction company and its subcontractors. In addition, since the construction company had little experience working on fire-damaged structures, Chubb hired a forensic-engineering firm to identify if structural components of the stadium were salvageable. Not only did this help prevent wasteful spending, but it also accelerated the construction process by not having to replace structurally-sound materials.

Alignment & communication

To help accelerate the rebuilding process, Chubb almost immediately cut a check, making a commitment to do everything possible to have the team up and running in time for Opening Day. But all the money in the world will do nothing if the parties involved in the reconstruction are not in sync with the insured's goal. From the construction crews to the forensic specialist to appraisers and claims adjusters, if this was going to work in a timely fashion, everyone would have to be on the same page.

To achieve this commitment, constant communication between all parties involved was needed to facilitate a seamless rebuild. Part of the consultant's task was to prevent a communication breakdown by implementing frequent on-site meetings. Additionally, Chubb was regularly in talks with Whitecaps' senior management, as well as with the appraisal firm that spent several days going through the charred remains and speaking to team managers about what needed to be replaced.

Flexibility

The rebuild also presented an opportunity for additional stadium improvements. For example, the Whitecaps widened the walkways in their luxury boxes, expanded the size of their pro shop and consolidated the number of refrigerators into several large walk-in units. Chubb worked with the team to ensure these enhancements were made.

A team effort

The job at Fifth Third Ballpark showed that a massive collaborative effort, requiring careful coordination and an influx of up-front money, is essential for a timely finish. With the help of several industry experts, the proper steps for a rapid rebuild were taken. By April 8, the entire stadium, with the exception of the interiors of the luxury boxes, had been completely rebuilt. By June 17, the start of the 50^th-anniversary Midwest All-Star Game, there was no evidence that a fire had decimated the stadium just months before.