The Facilities Accountability Committee (FAC) met Thursday, June 18 at the Board of Education and received an update on the Heights High Reconstruction Project from Jeff Long of Gilbane Ozanne Construction.
Long informed FAC members of the cost of construction on the Auto Tech project at the Delisle Options Center. Auto Tech is a part of the Career Technical Education (CTE) curriculum and will be permanently housed at Delisle. Other CTE programs, currently at Delisle, will be moved to the high school once construction is completed and the high school opens in fall 2017.
Long also shared with FAC members budget information on the Gateway Building which is part of the High School Reconstruction Project. The Gateway Building will serve as an entryway into the athletic field and stadium at the high school.
Discussions continue about what type of Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning System (HVAC) will be placed in the new Heights High. The new high school currently is budgeted for a Hybrid System that’s 50% Geothermal and 50% Boiler/Chiller. A hybrid system is more flexible and efficient than a traditional all boiler/chiller system.
Long explained there is a HVAC Bid Alternate for a full 100% Geothermal System, estimated to cost $1.3 million.
A hybrid heat system reacts to changing temperatures and automatically adjusts to the most efficient energy saving method available to heat or cool a home. It is a fuel-saving alternative to traditional heating and cooling systems in that it combines a furnace with a heat pump, rather than an air conditioner.
A geothermal heat pump or ground source heat pump (GSHP) is a central heating and/or cooling system that transfers heat to or from the ground. It uses the earth as a heat source (in the winter) or a heat sink (in the summer).
The District would need to decide whether to go with the alternate at the time HVAC bids are received in late August or early September. That timeframe is necessary because of the long lead time it takes to order materials and equipment for a full geothermal system.
Funding for a full geothermal system in the Alternate Budget, would come from Bid Savings or Owner Contingency, that is, if those funds are available at the time bids are received.
A contingency is money set aside for unforeseen items or issues that come up throughout a project, which could include detail conflicts or design revisions.
Sustainability
Steve Zannoni, Senior Project Manager on the Heights High Reconstruction Project, recapped for FAC members, key events from the June 16 Board Meeting, including a Sustainability PowerPoint Presentation that provided an overview of sustainability designs in the new high school and shared a video produced by the District’s Communications Team featuring students, community members and teachers talking about the importance of reducing our carbon footprint.
Fundraising
As part of passage of the Bond Issue 81 in November 2013, the District set a fundraising goal of $2.5 million for enhancements that go beyond monies allocated through the bond. Fundraising dollars would be used on the arts, athletics, applied sciences and community spaces. Board President Nancy Peppler said the District has set a goal of seven gifts to raise $2.5 million.
“There have been some good contacts made. The approach will be long term,” Peppler stated, emphasizing that the goal is to make fundraising a long term vision, beyond the high school project. The District will work closely with the Heights High Alumni Foundation.
The next FAC meeting is Thursday, July 23 at 7 p.m. at the Board of Education.
The mission of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District’s Facilities Accountability Committee (FAC) is to monitor and regularly report to the Board of Education regarding the status, progress and expenditure of funds for Phase 1 of the District’s comprehensive plan, as authorized by District voters as Issue 81 in November 2013.
The FAC’s responsibilities include: monitoring the implementation of the Facilities Master Plan; as well as reviewing the status of construction, financing and fundraising, following proposed and actual construction costs, and reviewing community engagement in school planning, construction contracting and construction workforce