Speaker 1, a board member, opened the Facilities Committee meeting on Nov. 15 and said the committee lacked a quorum so formal approvals were deferred; the group proceeded with informational updates on several facilities projects.

The committee’s most detailed discussion focused on the Douglas Avenue renovation. Speaker 2, a facilities staff member, said schematic-design documents were posted and the architecture/engineering firm’s first cost estimate arrived the day before. Staff flagged a finishing line item of about $400,000 as unexpectedly high and said they will meet the architect for a room-by-room review to identify where finishing costs can be pared back. “This number is a little hot for us,” Speaker 2 said. Committee members noted the entire project was discussed in the transcript as roughly “$7.25” to “$7.43” million; staff characterized those totals as approximate and said they would reconcile the budget during the next design review.

Speaker 3, another committee member, described ongoing mechanical work: Trane is replacing variable-frequency drives on individual air-handling unit controllers (the group discussed roughly 22 air-handling units) using maintenance-reserve funds. Speaker 3 said the new drives should lower energy use and provide better environmental control for collections and exhibits, which staff called essential for long-term collections care. “It gives us better control of the environment,” Speaker 3 said.

The committee also addressed hazardous-materials work uncovered during planning. Speaker 1 and Speaker 2 reported asbestos was identified in project notes; staff said they will remove the asbestos as a separate remediation contract (not by encapsulation) before proceeding with finishing work and estimated that removal would be a relatively low-dollar item.

On the Young Explorer Center, Speaker 5 (staff) said the company Patterson Pope will remove the space-saver movable shelving the week of Dec. 8 and stage the units in the auditorium until Douglas Avenue rooms are ready for reinstallation. The shelving can be converted from track-mounted to fixed shelving, staff said, and the work to remove and temporarily store the shelving will be funded from interest revenue on an endowment. Speaker 5 said staff planned the order of operations so finishing (wall treatments, wallpaper, painting) would follow shelving removal to avoid damage during installation.

“If it’s there, it can be fixed shelving,” Speaker 5 said, describing the shelving’s flexibility for future configurations. Staff indicated the timeframe for major elements of the Young Explorer Center — flooring and walls among them — could extend into early to mid-2027.

The group also reviewed the condition of the mobile science education trailer. Speaker 2 said the trailer was sent to SPEBCO in North Carolina (the original builder for a similar unit for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts) for a top-to-bottom assessment. SPEBCO reported “gross damage” to the chassis and estimated the trailer could be returned to service for roughly 3–5 more years after scoped repairs and added floor supports. Staff is awaiting an itemized scope and purchase-order cost before authorizing work and a replacement exterior wrap.

Committee members discussed rebranding the trailer with a simpler local name and noted that, depending on repairs and future use, it may remain fixed onsite for several years or be surplused later. Separately, Speaker 3 reported that the Gina Adams Education Pavilion construction is complete and that a new exhibits manager starts Monday to continue exhibit additions and programming.

Because the meeting lacked a quorum, the committee took no formal votes. Next steps outlined in the discussion include a room-by-room budget review with the architect for Douglas Avenue, obtaining SPEBCO’s itemized trailer-repair estimate and PO for authorization, proceeding with shelving removal the week of Dec. 8, and a fuller report to the full board at the next board meeting.

Ending: The Facilities Committee adjourned after the informational items and will revisit approvals when a quorum is present.