Civic Center getting new air conditioning

The old Carrier air conditioning units on the roof of McMinnville Civic Center were removed last week to make room for new Carrier units.

‘All the roof-top units are being removed with a crane,’ said Parks and Recreation director Carlene Brown. ‘As they remove each one, they replace it with curbing. The curbing fits the existing openings in the roof.’

CHC Mechanical, contracted to handle the inside installation of Civic Center’s new geothermal system, removed the units in one day. New units will be placed in the next couple of weeks and tied into the inside plumbing, which is currently being placed, that will allow circulation of the water in the ceiling for the new system.

Along with the new units, the company will be installing the duct socks, which ensure uniform air distribution throughout the building, and ceiling units, which allow air into rooms.

Removal of the old heating and air units, at least one of which has been there for 35 years, and installation of the new system is only half the job. The other half of geothermal installation is being handled by another company.

Crews from Mid State Construction have been working diligently at the facility since the end of December. At that time, drilling began at City Ball Field.

With two drilling rigs working at the site, a bore system was developed. After work was completed, the area was leveled and seeded by local businessman Scottie Keel.

It was hoped installation would be finished in time for the Virginia French Ball scheduled for June 7. French was born in 1825 and died in 1881. During the Civil War, she lived on a plantation outside McMinnville and kept a journal from 1860 to 1865 about the terrible realities of war in Middle Tennessee.

The ball is one of the highlights of the Warren County Bicentennial Celebration, as local residents will be encouraged to wear period costumes and doing their best to set the scene.

Electrical air conditioning wasn’t invented until the early 1900s. Although she had hoped to make the ball a little less realistic by having an air conditioning system installed for the event, Brown isn’t holding out too much hope.

‘I have a feeling the traditional ball might be really traditional,’ she said. ‘They may have to use those fans to really cool themselves.’

Along with the personal fans used by women during that time period, Civic Center employees will do what they can to keep the temperature down and the festive nature up.

With work going on inside and outside the building simultaneously by two different contractors, it is hoped the work will be done no later than mid-June.

The $1.2 million system is expected to generate savings between $750,000 and $900,000 over the 20- to 30-year life span of the system. Beginning July 1, city employees will track the financial savings generated. Using an energy management system, which will be installed this month, monthly reports can be made to keep track of the savings.

While looking ahead at financial savings, the Parks and Recreation Department is doing what it can to recycle and save money. The department has been selling all the scrap metal. As for the old Carrier units, they will be held in storage until the copper can be removed and sold.

The geothermal system was paid for with a $500,000 interest-free energy loan and a low-interest loan for the balance. The city will have to pay $120,000 a year for 12 years.