Practically Speaking

Pilgrim Park engineering study eats up savings for next 11 years?

Posted by Kyle Prast on Oct. 19, 2008

Elmbrook, Energy, THE ECONOMY

Though the Elmbrook School board has not decided if Pilgrim Park Middle School will get air conditioning, the board voted to spend $178,000 on an engineering study which will include both heating and air conditioning.
http://www.brookfieldnow.com/watch/?watch=14&date=10/15/2008&id=47556

Study OK'd for Pilgrim Park heating, air

Though the Elmbrook School board has not decided if Pilgrim Park Middle School will get air conditioning, the board voted to spend $178,000 on an engineering study which will include both heating and air conditioning.

The original budgeted amount for the project is $250,000.

The board approved a bid from Fredrickson Engineering to conduct the two- to three-month-long study, which will include preliminary work required for bidding and construction. About $50,000 of the study's cost will be spent on researching air conditioning.

The new heating system is expected to be more efficient and could save the district about $20,000 per year, Bob Borch, assistant superintendent of finance, said. This estimate does not include any cooling costs.

If the board decides against air conditioning, the materials produced during the engineering study could be kept for a later date, Borch said. Construction is planned for summer 2009.

A design assist firm will also be hired for the study, which will raise the price tag to an estimated $228,000, according to Borch. The design assist firm will provide practical advice to engineers during the study. The board will discuss the design assist firm's costs after it receives bids for that part of the study.