Hopkinton panel hears geothermal HVAC plan as high‑school replacement costs rise to $22.4 million

CMTA engineers updated the Hopkinton School Committee on a proposed ground‑source heat‑pump replacement for the high‑school HVAC, emphasizing reliability, classroom cooling and long‑term operating savings.

"The initial budget was 18.9 million. Our updated budget is 22.4 million," said Bailey Estess, mechanical engineer on the project, as the design moved from an investment‑grade audit to documents that have just been released to bidders. CMTA representatives said the existing system — installed around 1999 — is near the end of a typical 25‑year service life and currently cannot provide consistent cooling to classrooms.

Presenters said they evaluated multiple options and that, after counting incentives, the geothermal option had the lowest net cost and best life‑cycle performance. CMTA noted a federal investment tax credit and Mass Save incentives as critical to that calculation; the presenters said the federal bonus credit was currently estimated at about $7.6 million and that the credit would be realized only if prevailing‑wage and other program conditions are met. The consultants proposed completing more competitive bids this fall, tightening the scope through value engineering if required, and bringing a finalized budget to the committee ahead of the recommended town vote in May 2027.

Construction staging and schedule were highlighted as operational tradeoffs: the proposed well field behind the middle school would be out of use during drilling and restoration, and parts of the high‑school campus would be active construction sites across two summers. CMTA said the plan aims to be shovel‑ready for summer 2027 and substantially complete by summer 2028.

Committee members asked for further detail on contingencies and cash‑flow timing for grant and tax‑credit reimbursements; CMTA said some incentive payments occur after project completion and that Mass Save's payment is partly performance‑based. The committee did not take a formal vote on the project at the meeting and was advised to return for a bid review before any appropriation vote.

The consultants provided a detailed next‑step timeline: finish bid reviews by the end of 2026, refine budget and scope in early 2027, seek town approval in May, and phase construction across summers to minimize school‑year disruption.