Oklahoma County approves $5,000 to start redesign of Ninth Floor courthouse HVAC

Oklahoma County’s Public Improvements and Infrastructure Committee approved $5,000 from the commissioners’ capital fund Thursday to begin design and technical review for a replacement of the Ninth Floor courthouse HVAC system.

The $5,000 expenditure, approved by voice vote after a motion and second, will pay for an initial technical consultant to evaluate whether the Ninth Floor should be tied into existing chilled water and steam systems or outfitted with split systems, and to produce preliminary design guidance.

The county’s discussion noted the Ninth Floor was rebuilt years ago for District 2 offices and the witness center and that the air-conditioning systems installed then have repeatedly required portable HVAC units to control temperatures. A staff speaker described the recommended approach as “a beginning down that road” to determine long-term costs and timeline. The committee was warned multiple times that full replacement and installation costs could be “several hundred thousand dollars,” and that earlier bond documents included funds for this work in prior project scopes.

Commissioner (speaker 2) made the motion to allocate $5,000 from the commissioners’ capital funds to start design, and Chair (speaker 1) seconded. The motion passed by voice vote; no members recorded a dissent.

Committee members and staff said the $5,000 is expected to be an initial study only and that additional design and construction funding will be returned to the committee for approval after consultants give a recommended path forward. Staff said the county may pursue either connecting to the building’s chilled-water/steam infrastructure or installing mini-split systems with condensing units on the Tenth Floor, and that further procurement and bidding will be required before construction can proceed.

The committee asked staff to obtain multiple contractor perspectives and to return with professional cost estimates and a projected timeline for installation once the initial consultant’s findings are complete.

The committee also noted that past projects have tended to run above early estimates; members said the county should expect updated estimates to inform any future appropriation.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve minutes of the March 24 meeting (initial meeting): passed by voice vote. (See transcript segment: approval at start of meeting.) - Motion to allocate $5,000 from commissioners’ capital funds for Ninth Floor HVAC technical services: moved by Commissioner (speaker 2); seconded by Chair (speaker 1); passed by voice vote (all present voted yes). - Motion to receive the owner’s representative report on ARPA projects: passed by voice vote.

No formal procurement contract was awarded at the meeting; this $5,000 allocation is for initial technical/design services only.