CBOC Action Item - Culinary Center Redundant Cooling Tower 5.06.2026.pdf (101 KB)

COMMUNITY BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ACTION ITEM | May 6, 2026

Culinary Center Redundant Cooling Tower BACKGROUND The District’s Culinary Center is a critical facility responsible for producing and distributing approximately 17,000 meals per day. The facility operates on a tightly coordinated schedule where meals are prepared, stored, transported, and then reheated at individual schools. This system depends heavily on continuous, reliable refrigeration and cooling infrastructure to maintain food safety, regulatory compliance, and operational continuity. Currently, the facility relies on a single primary cooling tower, creating a single point of failure. If that tower experiences mechanical failure, electrical issues, or even routine maintenance downtime, the facility risks losing its ability to maintain safe refrigeration temperatures. In similar systems, failure of a single cooling tower component can shut down or significantly reduce cooling capacity entirely until repairs are completed, often requiring specialized equipment and extended downtime. PROPOSED PROJECT This project will include the design, procurement, and installation of a fully redundant cooling tower to support the Culinary Center’s central plant operations. The new cooling tower will be integrated with the existing system and configured to operate on a load-sharing basis, with each tower carrying approximately 50% of the cooling demand under normal conditions. Operating the system in this manner will reduce mechanical stress on the existing cooling tower, improving overall system reliability and extending the useful service life of both units. In addition, the new tower will provide critical redundancy for the refrigeration systems that support food storage, ensuring continuous operation of coolers and freezers even in the event of equipment failure or required maintenance. The project will also include controls integration and building automation system (BAS) monitoring allowing for automated staging and control of both cooling towers to optimize performance, efficiency, and responsiveness. Upon completion, this project will eliminate the current single point of failure within the cooling system and provide a resilient, reliable infrastructure necessary to support the uninterrupted production and distribution of meals across the District.

REQUEST TO CBOC (RECOMMENDED MOTION): Move that the Community Bond Oversight Committee recommends a transfer in Bond Premium dollars in the amount of $389,250 for a redundant cooling tower at the BVSD Culinary Center. This allocation will include all associated design, engineering, permitting, procurement, construction, and commissioning costs, as well as contingency to address any unforeseen conditions.