Project Description:
Midlands Mechanical was selected by Boulder County to deliver a complete chilled water system upgrade for the Saint Vrain HUB facility in Longmont, Colorado. The project required furnishing and installing a new air-cooled chiller and integrating chilled water service into an existing occupied building that previously had no chilled water infrastructure. The installation supported two existing air handling units in the south building and included provisions for a future air handler in the north wing.
The south building contained modern RTUs equipped with chilled water coils that were not connected, while the north wing contained a 30-year-old DX rooftop unit scheduled for future replacement. The new chilled water system allows Boulder County to transition toward a more efficient, centralized cooling strategy consistent with updated HVAC design standards.
Scope of Work & Responsibilities:
Mechanical Installation
Midlands Mechanical’s complete mechanical scope included:
- Furnishing and installing an air-cooled scroll chiller.
- Installing chilled water piping to two existing air handlers in the south building.
- Providing piping stubs for a planned future air handler.
- Installing all pumps, valves, insulation, glycol feeder, and accessories for a fully operational chilled water system.
- Performing all demolition, cutting, coring, excavation, backfilling, and patching required for piping routes.
- Providing all mechanical permits for the project.
- Completing system balancing and commissioning per specifications.
Site Coordination & Logistics
- Work was performed in an occupied facility, requiring strict adherence to Boulder County’s operational schedule.
- Noisy or disruptive activities—especially piping work across the 3rd-floor ceiling—were required to occur outside public hours (before 8:00 AM or after 6:00 PM).
- Work in the atrium and entry areas required special barricade protection, monitoring, and traffic control.
- Coordination was continuous with Boulder County Building Services, which acted as General Contractor and performed their own electrical, drywall, ceiling, and fire sprinkler work under separate contracts.
- BCBS also provided the chiller slab and screen walls.
Client Note:
This project required installing new chilled water infrastructure into an active public building without disrupting county operations. Our team coordinated closely with Boulder County to sequence work safely around public hours, maintain building accessibility, and ensure that critical facility services remained uninterrupted.
Midlands Mechanical delivered a fully functional chilled water system, enabling Boulder County to modernize its HVAC platform, improve long-term cooling efficiency, and prepare the facility for future equipment upgrades.
