District hears $15 million estimate for Boyertown Elementary HVAC, roof and switchgear project; CHAdewey to return with contract for consideration

Jamie Lynch of CHAdewey presented an engineering and delivery plan for an HVAC and roof replacement at Boyertown Elementary School and told the board the recommended system is a VRF/DOAS natural-gas-complemented heating approach with a new roof and an upgraded building-management system. The package also includes replacement/upsizing of the building switchgear and a new emergency generator.

Lynch said the team studied alternatives, recommended a single-membrane roof (EPDM with a TPO alternate), and included the mansard metal roofs in the cost but noted they appear to be in good condition and "hopefully not to have to replace them." He said the all-in project budget he presented to the board was "just over $15,000,000" and included hard and soft costs, roof, generator, big-box spaces and switchgear.

Schedule and delivery: CHAdewey proposed finishing design in 2025 and publicly bidding the work so construction can proceed in two summer phases (summer 2026 and summer 2027). Lynch cautioned that long lead items such as switchgear and generators can require up to about a year for procurement; he recommended early design completion and rapid procurement to avoid schedule risk.

Project controls and oversight: CHAdewey described a delivery model in which the firm would provide mechanical and electrical design, a resident project engineer on site during construction, third-party testing and balancing (contracted directly by the district), and regular coordination with municipal code inspections. Lynch said the resident project engineer proposed for the work is Mike Hartney, a master electrician, who would oversee contractor work in the field.

Board questions focused on heating backup in extreme cold, third-party testing procurement and who would represent the district on-site. Lynch said the VRF system selected is built to meet heating loads for the region when properly specified and that the third-party testing and balancing agent would be contracted to the district (CHAdewey would prepare the request for proposals and manage procurement on the district's behalf). He said the firm would be the district's design professional and the firm's resident project engineer would monitor contractor work and report to the district throughout construction.

Next steps: Lynch told the board CHAdewey and the district solicitor's office have worked on a proposed agreement and that administration planned to bring a recommended agreement for board consideration at the April 22 legislative meeting.

Why it matters: The proposed work is a major capital project with multiyear design, procurement and construction impacts, significant budgetary implications and operational risks that the district intends to manage through phased summer construction and third-party testing and oversight.