ABM reports progress on county energy-savings program; court narrows substitution options for amphitheater

ABM Building Services updated the Nueces County Commissioners Court on the county'wide Energy Savings Performance Contract and the team'wide construction program, saying the overall program is about 60% complete and that several sites have substantial progress while others still have key mechanical items outstanding.

Progress and punch list: ABM general manager Larry Harshaw said the fairgrounds and McKenzie Annex work is roughly 80% complete and the courthouse work is about two-thirds complete. "If you look at the project right now, we're 60% complete overall," Harshaw told the court. Work remaining at the jail includes air-handling-unit changeouts, DDC controls and smoke/purge fan controls, and ABM and public-works staff are jointly addressing punch-list items.

Boilers and chillers: ABM project managers said commissioning of two new courthouse boilers was delayed by defective gas-train components and mismatched pressure components; replacements are scheduled and ABM expects final boiler commissioning in mid-February if deliveries proceed. McKinsey Annex new chillers are installed and running but periodic shutdowns and programming/punch-list corrections remain; ABM said subcontractors are scheduling corrective work and that service calls have been handled within hours when outages occurred.

Amphitheater substitution: Because the original amphitheater component of the energy contract is now under review, ABM and public works presented a short list of substitution options the court could accept in lieu of the amphitheater: (1) Calderon building roof and HVAC upgrades (~$1.4M), (2) Bill Bodie HVAC upgrades (~$430k) plus an armory roof (~$850k) as a combined alternative, and (3) a targeted fairgrounds HVAC addition (~$100k) as an add-on. The court directed ABM to price the prioritized alternatives, produce energy-savings calculations and arrange for third-party verification of predicted savings before change orders are executed.

Why it matters: The substitutions alter which capital projects will be advanced under the county'negotiated energy contract; the court wanted prioritized options so it could remain within the same overall contract terms while maximizing verified energy savings and keeping projects that improve county facilities.

Next steps: ABM will return with firm pricing and independent verification of projected savings; public works will confirm submittals and allow remaining site work to proceed (notably parking-lot paving at McKinsey and Gallihar). The court asked ABM and county staff for a timetable and to avoid delays while punch-list items are addressed.