The price of the ongoing geothermal project at Oak Park and River Forest High School is going to be a little higher than projected due to two changes that are estimated to cost nearly $174,000.
Pipes carrying air from the geothermal wells being built under the football field to the southeast portion of the school that is being rebuilt must be laid deeper than anticipated to avoid interfering with ComEd’s 138,000 volt underground electrical transmission line which is buried eight feet under the mall that the separates the school building from the football field. The deeper piping is estimated to cost $117,648 more than was originally budgeted. ComEd will do the work. The geothermal piping will be below the ComEd transmission line instead of above it as previously anticipated because ComEd was concerned that the thermal activity from the geothermal piping would affect its transmission line unless it is dug deeper.
The other change that was approved last month is to use CoolPlay artificial turf on the new football field, which keeps the turf cooler than regular artificial turf. The CoolPlay turf is estimated to cost $56,225.98 more than regular turf that was originally budgeted for the project.
The change orders with the alternative energy company Veregy which is managing the geothermal project have frustrated School Board members who said both changes should have been anticipated and included in the original bid package. Board members wondered why it was just realized that the geothermal piping would have to be deeper than originally projected.
“I just don’t like the way this has been managed,” said board member Fred Arkin.
Arkin also questioned why they didn’t budget for CoolPlay in the first place since the new field inside the new outdoor track installed last year has CoolPlay.
“I’m not a fan of change orders,” Arkin said. “My concern is why is this coming to us now.”
Arkin expanded on his displeasure.
“They could have easily given us this option when they first gave us the contract,” Arkin said. “I really don’t like doing business this way.”
Superintendent Greg Johnson said that school administrators should have noticed that the CoolPlay turf was not part of the original bid package before that contract was approved.
“This is something we missed in house,” Johnson said.
Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations Tony Arbogast said the original bid called for a like-to-like replacement of the old turf on the football field and the old turf was not the CoolPlay turf. He said any blame should be his for not insisting that the original bid include CoolPlay.
“I will put the blame on my shoulders,” Arbogast told the School Board at an April 10 Committee of the Whole Meeting.
Despite their displeasure the School Board unanimously approved the change order for the turf on April 24. The change order for the underground piping was approved May 22.
The money to pay for the additional costs will be taken from the contingency fund for Project 2, the demolition and reconstruction of the southeast portion of the school which is expected to cost nearly $102 million. The contingency fund for Project 2 contains about $1.574 million.
Board member Tim Brandhorst chose to look on the bright side of the geothermal piping change.
“We have a solution,” Brandhorst said. “And we’ve worked with our partners to find a solution to what could be a major problem so I’m appreciative of that. This is exactly why we have $1.8 million of contingency built into Project 2. Things come along, things just like this, happen.”
Technically the geothermal project is separate from Project 2. The geothermal project is projected to cost about $12.5 million and is projected to save OPRF approximately $385,000 annually in heating and cooling costs over a traditional heating and cooling system while also reducing the school’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Bob Skolnik is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
