The city of Aurora is planning to spend over a half-million dollars to upgrade the HVAC system of its Development Services Center in downtown.
Aurora’s Development Services Center is at 77 S. Broadway and holds a variety of city departments and divisions, including information technology, planning and zoning, training and development, fire prevention, building and permits, property standards and development services administration, according to Aurora Director of Public Facilities Derrick Winston.
The planned HVAC upgrades would allow the city to more precisely set the temperature within the building, and set it on a certain schedule, which would save money, he said at an Aurora City Council committee meeting late last month.
A $664,500 contract with Artlip and Sons, Inc. for the upgrade work is set to go before the Aurora City Council on Tuesday. It is likely to pass as it was placed on the meeting’s consent agenda, which is typically reserved for routine or non-controversial items that are all approved with a single vote.
Currently, the building’s heating, ventilation and cooling system has outdated controls with thermostats that need to be manually adjusted, according to a city staff report about the project. Staff said the current controls lack precision and frequently malfunction, and some don’t work at all.
Plus, since the HVAC system can’t be remotely controlled or monitored, it has used an unnecessary amount of energy, increased costs and led to erratic temperatures, the staff report said.
The planned HVAC upgrade would include the replacement of around 60 dual duct air boxes and thermostats with electronic units, along with the installation of automated controls that will connect to the city’s network, city staff said in their report.
Of the six contractors that submitted bids for the work, Artlip and Sons, Inc. submitted the lowest bid that met all the requirements, according to the report.
Staff said that city operations are not expected to be disrupted in any major way due to the construction.
Last July, the Aurora City Council approved the replacement of the Development Services Center’s roof, along with the roof of the fifth floor of City Hall, at 44 E. Downer Place, at a combined cost of $687,300.
rsmith@chicagotribune.com
