District staff says Mary Potter campus needs millions in remediation for mold and HVAC failures

District staff told the Granville County Board of Education on Sept. 28 that the Mary Potter campus is in poor condition and would require multimillion-dollar remediation to be usable.

"There would be over we estimate up over 1000000 dollars of remediation that would be needed on that campus to remove the mold, the contamination, in the building," said Dr. Winborn (speaker 4), who gave a detailed overview of the property's capital needs. He said the air and surface contamination is severe enough that the fire marshal cannot complete inspections and that vacant buildings are difficult to insure.

Dr. Winborn described system failures across the campus: corroded and leaking piping in the HVAC system, failed fan-coil units, chilled-water plant and chiller replacements, single-pane glazing that lets humid air into the building, and a failed roof. He told the board that, conservatively, bringing Mary Potter to basic operational condition could range from about $4.5 million to $7.5 million, not including upgrades to make the facility a long-term, desirable school building.

Staff also told the board the district spent roughly $132,000 last year to maintain utilities and internet for alarms and HVAC controls at the vacant campus; staff said that expense would stop if the property is transferred.