Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facility Hvac topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Manicholas Plaza chiller and broader HVAC upgrade debated; replacement estimates range from $600,000 to $4.48 million
Summary
Facilities staff presented options to replace a rented chiller at Manicholas Plaza and discussed longer-term HVAC strategies across district buildings; estimates ranged from $600,000–$1.5M for modular systems to $4,481,630.91 for full rip-and-replace, and administrators flagged installation complexity and ductwork constraints.
Facilities staff told the operations committee they are evaluating options to replace a rented chiller at Manicholas Plaza and consider broader HVAC upgrades across district buildings.
Rob Rucker explained the district currently leases a replacement chiller after the original unit experienced a frozen water line; administration said replacing the internal unit would be complex because the chiller sits inside the building above the gym and would require roof or wall removal to crane it out. Rucker outlined cost options: a direct replacement ("rip and replace") with existing ductwork could be in the $600,000–$900,000 range; a more upgraded or modular approach would push to about $1.1–$1.5 million; a comprehensive rip-and-replace central HVAC replacement, including all ductwork and handling, is estimated in the district's 2023 feasibility work at $4,481,630.91.
"The complexity in the just replacing — just rip and replace — is that the chiller is internal to the building, and there's no easy access to it," Rucker said. Administrators discussed modular VRF/VRV systems as an alternative to full ductwork replacement and noted trade-offs in cost and future flexibility.
Nut graf: Given high costs and installation complexity, the committee asked staff to continue feasibility analysis, provide formal proposals and include the Capital Asset/Facility Conditions work in planned studies so that any decision balances near-term repair needs and long-term renovation strategy.
Other facility matters: Members discussed ongoing water intrusion and remediation work at West High and the Administration Building. Servpro was thanked for cleanup work at several schools. Facilities staff said they are daylighting roof drains to reduce interior backups; a plumbing engineer concluded some sanitary/storm lines are undersized and that the district is redirecting roof drains to daylight out of the building. A board member requested photographs of elevator parts for a three-year-out elevator repair so a local machine shop might fabricate replacement pieces; administration agreed to attempt to obtain images and a parts report.
Ending: Facilities will return with bid-level estimates, proposed procurement approaches and a feasibility recommendation for the Manicholas Plaza chiller and broader HVAC options, and will include the facility conditions assessment work in next steps.
