The Whaleyville Community Center project has dipped into more of its contingency than anticipated after the construction crew converting the old elementary school discovered bad roof decking, a city official said.

“It’s not unusual in an older building like that,” Buildings and Capital Programs Director Gerry Jones said last week. “When we’ve got an old building like that, we anticipate bad decking. But we took out more than what was anticipated.”

Jones said there usually are a few spots of corroded metal in the roof decking, but the decking in the old school had to be completely replaced.

“It just rusts through,” he sad. “You don’t know it’s there until you pull it back. You don’t want to put a new roof on top of bad, rusted-out material.”

Jones said the roof manufacturer would not warranty a roof placed on top of a bad deck.

“You pay a lot at the end for these things,” he said. “We don’t like to compromise.”

About $25,000 was anticipated for replacement of the deck, but it ended up costing about $65,000, Jones said.

The project has not exceeded its budget because of contingency money that was built in, Jones said. As a bright spot, the replacement of the decking was the only surprise.

“We didn’t run into any other major cost items in the demolition of that old structure,” Jones said. “In context, that’s pretty minor.”

The construction contract on the project is $2.6 million, Jones said.

A capital improvements plan now under consideration by the Planning Commission suggests $450,000 in funding in the coming fiscal year for computers, fitness machines, furniture and other equipment for the community center.