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City Staff Proposes Replacing City Hall and TPAC Steam Boilers; Cost Covered Within Project Budget
Summary
City staff told the Infrastructure Committee that ongoing HVAC upgrades at City Hall and the Topeka Performing Arts Center (TPAC) are near completion and recommended replacing two 2011 steam boilers with hot‑water boilers to improve efficiency and lower maintenance. The proposal is estimated at $753,000 and would be paid from the existing project
Topeka — Oct. 21, 2025 — City facilities staff told the Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday that HVAC upgrades at City Hall and the Topeka Performing Arts Center (TPAC) are nearing substantial completion and recommended replacing two steam boilers installed in 2011 with hot‑water boilers.
A staff presenter said the overall HVAC program budget has changed several times during the last two years as additional failing systems were identified; the project budget was previously adjusted and staff said they were able to lower the overall budget while adding two systems. As the work nears completion, staff proposed using remaining funds in the project to replace the boilers rather than wait for future failures.
"So the proposal that you have before you would be to replace those boilers for a cost of $753,000, which we accomplished within the existing project budget," the staff presenter told the committee. Staff said hot‑water boilers will allow more efficient ramping up and down of building heat, reduce maintenance associated with steam systems and could provide 10–15% better efficiency versus continued use of steam and exchangers.
Committee members asked about the alternate of a three‑boiler system for redundancy; staff said the three‑boiler option would add about $101,296 but staff recommended two hot‑water boilers as adequate redundancy given cost.
This item was discussed as a use of existing project funds; staff did not request additional appropriations at the committee meeting but said they would proceed with the replacement using money remaining in the HVAC project budget.
