NL gets update on facility improvement project

Northern Lehigh School District’s near $12 million facility improvement project continues to make huge strides just two weeks before students return to the classroom.

Alyssa Wingenfield, P.E., and Mark Minniti, project manager, of the McClure Company, presented a construction update to the board Monday.

In May, the board approved the final contract with the McClure Company for the Guaranteed Energy Savings Project at a cost not to exceed $11.74 million.

The project was originally projected to cost $10,079,787, and the district opted to install middle school drop ceilings, and high school science rooms/labs, raising the total for the project to $11.74 million.

The board entered into the guaranteed energy savings agreement with McClure Company, which will guarantee 20-year energy and operational savings of $5 million. The board authorized an agreement for expedited work for an August substantial completion.

The expedited work includes HVAC related engineering services necessary to secure permits, major equipment design and selection, roofing subcontractor purchase orders, major HVAC equipment purchase orders and submittal processing, and major subcontractor coordination.

The district will incur nonelectoral debt of $15.5 million to refund all or a portion of the district’s outstanding general obligation bonds and undertake capital projects including energy savings, roofing and other improvements to various public school buildings and facilities.

Superintendent Matt Link praised the company. “They’ve been very easy to work with. The contractors have been very accommodating.”

Middle school Principal Jill Chamberlain added, “The rooms are so bright, you might have to wear sunglasses.”

Project scope

The project includes districtwide lighting upgrades; middle school HVAC upgrades and ceiling replacement; middle school/high school/field house roofing upgrades; and district control integration. The high school HVAC and chemistry rooms are scheduled to be done in the summer of 2019, she said.

Wingenfield said the districtwide lighting upgrades consisted of retrofitting/replacing about 5,600 inefficient interior and exterior fixtures to LED.

She said the districtwide building envelope entailed sealing roof to wall transitions, insulating over entrance overhangs, and weather stripping exterior doors and sealing gaps.

The middle school HVAC upgrades and ceiling replacement involved 32 new classroom units, 11 new units for the large group spaces/lab/administrative office, one new chiller, four new boilers, new HVAC controls, targeted ceiling replacement and more.

She said the middle school, high school and field house roofs are being replaced with a new 0.090 mil EPDM-style roofing system. The new roof system will also carry a 30-year warranty.

Wingenfield said Slatington Elementary School, Peters Elementary School and the field house will be integrated into a single, graphical front-end user interface for building automation system control.

Lighting

Wingenfield discussed the energy conservation measures as far as districtwide lighting.

At the middle school, the new LED lighting fixtures are complete, while existing lighting fixtures with LED lamp retrofits are expected to be completed by Aug. 24.

Wingenfield said the lighting has started and is expected to be finished at the high school by early September; the lighting completion at Slatington Elementary is targeted for late September; Peters Elementary, the bus/field house and the administration building will be completed by October; and that any work in student areas after Aug. 27 will be performed during after school hours (second shift).

HVAC/ceilings

Wingenfield said all new HVAC equipment for the middle school is on-site, with the exception of the new chiller, which she added is expected to arrive this week and be installed, tested, and ready to operate by the following week.

All classroom work is expected to be completed by Aug. 27 for student arrival, and air conditioning will be functional, she said.

The remaining work will be focused on the new boiler installation, and getting the heating system completed for fall, Wingenfield said.

Roofing upgrade

Minniti said that due to the significant rain days, the middle school roof is expected to be complete over all classrooms by Aug. 27.

The roof is 70 percent complete, he said, adding that any roof work remaining after Aug. 27 will be completed during after school hours (second shift); the high school roof is 60 percent complete; and remaining work will be completed during after school hours (second shift and weekends); while the field house roof is expected to be completed in October.

Control integration

Wingenfield said control integration work in the middle school will be completed by mid-September; at Slatington Elementary and Peters Elementary by the end of September; will follow at the field house after the elementary schools; and at the high school will be in 2019 when new HVAC equipment is installed.