Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Coastal Mississippi to temporarily relocate as Coliseum HVAC fails; county weighing insulation vs. full replacement
Loading...
Summary
Coast Coliseum Commission informed the supervisors that condensation and aging mini-split HVAC lines are forcing a temporary relocation for Coastal Mississippi. County staff said insulating refrigerated lines is the first option; a full system replacement would be expensive and may require outside funding or higher rent.
Marlon Laff McDonald, representing the Coast Coliseum Commission, told the board that Coastal Mississippi will temporarily relocate while the Coliseum's HVAC problems are addressed.
McDonald said the Coliseum's office area was built with about 32 mini-split HVAC heads, and that condensation on the refrigerated lines running overhead has created recurring moisture problems. He said the units are more than 15 years old and that the lines either need comprehensive re-insulation or full replacement. "Our first goal is to see if those lines can be insulated," he said. "But if we can't insulate the line, the best solution is likely to replace it."
County staff and commission representatives said past repair work cost several thousand dollars and that available budgets for the Coliseum are limited because rent for Coastal Mississippi was kept low as part of prior arrangements. McDonald told supervisors the commission has solicited proposals from multiple mechanical contractors for a long-term solution but had difficulty getting consistent information.
Two options were presented: (1) re-insulate refrigerated piping to stop condensation, which staff said could be relatively inexpensive if feasible; or (2) remove the mini-split system and install ducted HVAC to serve the offices, which would be more expensive but would use current HVAC technology and avoid repeated repairs. McDonald said the commission would prefer not to raise Coastal Mississippi's rent if outside assistance can be secured. He asked the board to be prepared for a possible request for county contribution if replacement proves necessary.
McDonald said the Coliseum remains busy with events and that addressing the HVAC issue is a high priority to avoid disruption.
Supervisors asked questions about the scope, and staff said they would return with contractor recommendations and cost estimates before committing county operating funds or proposing rent changes.
