Coast Coliseum reports HVAC failure; county asked to consider aid as Coastal Mississippi staff work from home

Matt McDonald, director of Coast Coliseum, told the Harrison County Board of Supervisors that a long-running HVAC problem at the county-owned convention center has forced Coastal Mississippi staff to vacate their office space and work from home.

McDonald said the facility currently relies on 32 individual mini-split air-conditioning units located above office ceilings and that refrigerant-line failures have caused repeated leaks. “They're operating with 32 individual air conditioning units that are placed in each different office above the ceiling,” McDonald said. He said technicians traced the immediate failures to leaking refrigerant lines and evaporation-related deterioration.

The Coliseum presented three cost options to the board: an estimated $217,000“band‑aid” repair to insulate refrigerant lines and address immediate leaks; a $592,000 like‑for‑like equipment replacement using newer technology; and an $832,000 proposal to install a single central rooftop/package unit that would serve the office area. McDonald said the $217,000 option “will certainly get the problem” in the short term but warned that the older mini‑split equipment is 16 years old and likely to require recurring repairs. “No. Because we'll be back,” he said of the temporary fix.

McDonald described timing differences for each option: the band‑aid would be the quickest (he estimated the shortest timeline at about 90 days from activation), full replacement of mini‑splits about six months, and installing a traditional central package roughly seven months. He also told the board that the Coliseum is at the mercy of manufacturers for lead times and cited delays on related equipment (new boilers) tied to control parts availability.

Board members asked whether the Coliseum board had determined how much it could contribute; McDonald said the Coliseum’s board had selected the central‑system option as the best long‑term approach but had not specified how much it would commit and asked the supervisors for any help they could provide. McDonald said 18 county employees who work in the affected offices are currently inconvenienced and that available alternative office space in nearby county buildings was limited or unsuitable.

When asked about payment terms, McDonald said contractors would likely invoice by progress milestones rather than require full upfront payment but that he would obtain a payment schedule and return it to the board for consideration.

The board did not vote on funding at the meeting. Supervisors asked staff to bring a payment schedule and additional details to the next meeting so the board can discuss potential county participation.

Background: The Coliseum presented the quotes as expedited vendor estimates rather than formal sealed bids, McDonald said; he also said the original rooftop central system had not been installed when the offices were outfitted 16 years earlier. The Coliseum will return with a contractor payment schedule and further information for the supervisors to consider.

The board's next regular meeting will include follow-up on the request.