Overview:
Village Hall's approved HVAC replacement begins soon in phases, temporarily relocating staff and shifting where residents conduct business.
The long-planned HVAC replacement at Orland Park Village Hall is moving forward. Work will begin soon in phases, with different sections of the building closing for roughly three weeks at a time as crews install new rooftop units and upgrade the building’s climate control system, officials said.
The project, approved by the board last fall, will disrupt daily operations and require residents to navigate temporary office locations. The village is laying out the timeline now so staff and residents know what to expect and where to go when construction begins.
The village board approved the HVAC replacement project in the fall. Equipment orders were placed then, and manufacturing took months. Now the work is ready to begin.
Public Works Director Joel VanEssen gave the board an update Monday on how the project will unfold.
The new system will include variable air volume boxes — equipment that allows the building to adjust temperature control in different zones. That’s an upgrade from the current constant-flow system, which heats or cools the entire building uniformly.
“Not only is the equipment old, but it also we’re bringing some new to the village hall which instead of a constant flow, we’ll be able to adjust different zones of the village hall in the future,” VanEssen said.
The work will happen in phases. Crews will start in the basement, then move up through the boardroom, first floor, and second floor. Rooftop units will be installed last, in the fall.
Each phase lasts about three weeks. During that time, employees in the affected section will be temporarily relocated to other spaces in the building — including trustees’ offices, which will be used as temporary work areas.
“We are using every possible available space in the village hall,” VanEssen said.
The disruption will be significant for staff. VanEssen acknowledged that some village offices will be temporarily unavailable.
“We’re going to have to move people so we can get into the ceilings,” VanEssen said.
For residents coming to Village Hall to pay bills, apply for permits, or conduct other business, the village has a plan to keep services running.
Signs will be posted in the lobby and on windows directing people to temporary office locations. The finance window will move upstairs during its phase. Development services will relocate to the boardroom when that section is under construction.
“Village hall can still conduct business. There will be some signs in the lobby on windows directing people where the temporary locations are so that they still can conduct all the business in the village hall. It just be a little bit different location,” VanEssen said.
The project is necessary — the current system is aging and inefficient. But it will require patience and flexibility from everyone who works in or visits Village Hall, officials said.
Board members reacted with understanding about the inconvenience.
When VanEssen mentioned that engineering staff would be working in a subterranean workspace, Trustee Cynthia Nelson Katsenes asked with a touch of humor, “Joel, does engineering know they’re going to be spending time with us in the basement?”
VanEssen confirmed they do.