Ann Arbor Schools to See $63M in AC, Lighting Upgrades

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/08/21

Last week, the Ann Arbor School Board in Ann Arbor, Mich., approved $63 million in funding for air conditioning and lighting renovations at 13 schools in the district, as well as contracts for future architectural and engineering projects.

Included in that figure are air conditioning and LED lighting updates at Burns Park and Angell Elementary Schools ($3.3 million), Community High School ($8.99 million), Scarlett Middle School ($893,000), and Tappan Middle School ($20.65 million). The renovations are scheduled for the summer 2021 and summer 2022, and each bid total includes a 10% contingency fee.

The school board also approved architectural and engineering service contracts with Stantec of Farmington Hills and Fishbeck of Novi. These two firms are tasked with designing renovations for other projects set to begin during summer 2022 and summer 2023. The lighting and AC projects were marked as early priorities when Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) campaigned for the $1 billion capital bond that voters approved in 2019.

Estimated construction costs of $15 million for Stantec and $14 million for Fishbeck (of which each firm will receive a 4% professional fee) were approved for the following projects: Air conditioning, LED lighting, and fire suppression at Clague Middle School and Forsythe Middle School; air conditioning and LED lighting at Bach Elementary School, Eberwhite Elementary School, Pittsfield Elementary School, and Wines Elementary School; and LED lighting upgrades at Pioneer High School and Allen Elementary School.

During February, the board had previously approved about $15 million of these funds for projects at five of the schools. The ultimate goal is to help the district save money on energy costs and reduce its carbon footprint.

“When you bring in air conditioning, obviously it’s using more energy, bringing up the carbon footprint and general fund expenditures,” said AAPS executive director for capital projects Emile Lauzzana. “We’re offsetting the additional load or cost of electricity by implementing LED lighting and solar power.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2025 New Product Awards

    Spaces4Learning is now accepting entries for the 2025 New Product Awards! The program’s goal is to honor the outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products and services are particularly noteworthy in helping to improve K–12 and Higher Education learning environments.

  • University of Kentucky Integrates New Cleaning Technology

    The University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., recently installed a new cleaning system designed to improve cooling efficiency on campus, according to a news release. The Facilities Management’s Utilities and Energy Management Unit installed new chiller tubes into two of the chillers at the university’s Central Utility Plant.

  • Image courtesy of MiEN Company

    6 Ways to Pull Off a Major District Construction Project

    Designing and building a large-scale project on a K–12 campus is a monumental undertaking that requires the right blend of ideas, funding, design and execution to get it right. The process also relies on multiple partners, each of which has to handle its respective aspect of the project while also keeping the district’s broader mission and goals in mind.

  • Gretna East High School

    Gretna East High School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Gretna East High School has been recognized with an EDS 2025 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

Digital Edition