Diocese of Oakland in mediation over alleged defects in Cathedral of Christ the Light

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- The Diocese of Oakland is currently in mediation over what they say are major design and construction flaws in the Cathedral of Christ the Light and other buildings on its campus.

A judge has agreed to the Diocese's request for more inspections and testing to see the cost for repairs and who is responsible for paying for the alleged defects.

The following letter was sent to parishioners:

As I have shared with you previously, various construction defects have been discovered in the Cathedral of Christ the Light and other buildings on its campus. We are deeply disappointed in the extent of the defects, especially for our Cathedral. The Catholic Cathedral Corporation of the East Bay has taken legal action to ensure the responsible parties pay for the necessary corrective work.

The court-appointed special master for our legal case has approved a request by the defendants for additional inspections and testing. This is not unusual for a complex case, such as ours. This work will begin in May and is expected to take about four weeks to complete.

This additional inspection and testing work will be performed by a licensed general contractor and documented by our expert consultants. All work will be carefully managed to ensure the safety of occupants and visitors and to minimize interfering with Cathedral, Chancery, Parish and event center activities to the greatest extent possible.

The Cathedral and other Cathedral Center buildings, including the B2 level of the parking garage, will remain open during this work. However, small areas of the plaza and Chancery, rectory and parking garage may be temporarily closed while work is underway.

The process to establish legal accountability for construction and design issues is time-consuming and complex. I want to assure you we are doing our utmost to address them thoroughly and expeditiously.

Thank you for your patience and support as we work to address these issues. Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Very Reverend George Mockel Vicar General President of the Catholic Cathedral Corporation of the East Bay.