Council hears update on event center HVAC: engineering review finds installed tonnage incorrect, repairs likely costly

City officials told the Middletown City Council on March 4 that an engineering review of the city’s event center HVAC system is still underway and initial findings show the installed air-conditioning tonnage does not match the original design and is insufficient for the building’s square footage.

Scott Tadic, public works director, said consultants visited the facility and are finalizing results. “Currently, what's currently installed is incorrect,” Tadic told council. He said the system as installed will move air but not deliver designed cooling capacity. Council members noted that under-sizing the system could produce poor rental experiences and lower revenue potential for the event center.

Nut graf: The engineering review will determine the scope and cost of necessary HVAC upgrades; staff are preparing a bid package for corrective work but council requested clarity on whether work is immediately critical or could be deferred to future budgets.

Tadic said design-development documents for the bidding package are expected to be completed by the end of the month and that the consultant report would be shared with council when available. Council member Horn pressed whether the report analyzed the urgency and lifecycle needs; staff said the bid package will enable the city to solicit firm contractor estimates. Council members cautioned that correcting the system will likely cost in the “hundreds” of thousands rather than the tens of thousands, and they asked staff to return with a recommendation on timing and funding sources.

Ending: Staff will provide the consultant’s final report and the draft bid package to council and discuss whether immediate repairs are required or whether the work can be scheduled into the next budget cycle.