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District facilities update: HVAC conversions, vestibules, water systems near completion across Hyde Park schools
Summary
Facilities director Greg Francis Rowe and a Palumbo Group representative updated the board on multi‑phase capital work, reporting major mechanical conversions, secure vestibules, water tank replacement strategies and punch‑list items across several schools.
HYDE PARK, N.Y. — At the Oct. 9 HYDE PARK CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT Board of Education meeting, facilities director Greg Francis Rowe and Tom Chester of the Palumbo Group provided a comprehensive capital project update covering phase 1 through phase 3 work across district buildings.
Rowe and Palumbo Group staff described completed work—FDR roof replacement, track resurfacing, new turf and renovated auditoriums—and remaining items, including final pay applications and communication issues with new HVAC controls. Rowe said the district converted several steam systems to hot‑water and installed variable refrigerant systems and Univents in multiple buildings to provide simultaneous heating and cooling where sun exposure varies across floors. "This system was chosen," Rowe said, explaining the ability to send heat to one portion of a building while cooling another. He added that most equipment is online but that contractors continue to resolve communications and control issues.
Project specifics in the update included: - Phase 2a: security vestibules, stair lifts, Univents that replaced steam radiators and extensive mechanical work at Haviland Middle School and Ralph R. Smith (noted as nearly complete, with two final pay applications outstanding). - Phase 3a (FDR High School): new main entrance with ramp for accessibility, auditorium renovation (curtains arriving the week after the meeting), replacement of large steam piping with accessible above‑ceiling ductwork, a new domestic water tank system composed of several smaller tanks to replace the original 12‑by‑30‑foot basement tank, and a planned cooling tower (chiller) pad at the back of the high‑school field. - Phase 3b: secure vestibules at North Park, Netherwood, HPE and the administration building; Netherwood received a new well and an on‑site water treatment plant building will replace a confined‑space underground installation.
Rowe said leak tests and pressure testing had been completed and that the manufacturer was performing checkout; the district expects third‑party or manufacturer verification before final acceptance of some systems. He also reported an opportunity to save about $90,000 by constructing a prefabricated well building on‑site rather than accepting a delayed and expensive manufacturer prefabricated unit.
Board members asked technical and schedule questions about commissioning, third‑party inspections, and the status of ballistic glass ordered for some vestibules (Rowe noted long lead times). Rowe said a planned switch‑over approach was used for the water tanks so the district could run the old system in parallel with the new tanks, minimizing disruption.
The board requested follow‑up reports on remaining punch‑list items, scheduling for third‑party commissioning and documentation of savings from in‑house solutions. Rowe advised that several items would extend into winter but that the district is aiming to minimize operational disruption.
The presentation and subsequent Q&A underlined several implementation items for the facilities committee and the business office, including final pay applications, commissioning sign‑offs and budget reconciliation.
