Linn County West Feasibility Report 092209

8/14/2019 Linn County West Feasibility Report 092209

1/83


2/83

Introduction


3/83

page 1 of 55

Linn County West Feasibility ReportSeptember 22, 2009

Introduction

Linn County West (LCW) is the adaptive re-use of a building constructed in 1978-79 as a

Montgomery Wards department store, one of four original anchor stores for Westdale Mall

shopping center. The LCW building contains just under 120,000 gross square feet of space

divided between two levels. Almost 75,000 square feet are located on the lower level and almost

45,000 square feet including the mechanical penthouse and the unheated Outdoor Sales Area

are on the upper level. Both levels are directly accessible from surface parking lots and both

levels have direct access to Westdale Mall.

Linn County leased the space to provide emergency housing for a number of its departments

displaced by the 2008 flood. Linn County would now like to consider the feasibility of converting

the former Montgomery Wards store into permanent County administrative offices.


4/83

page 2 of 55


In an attempt to make the findings of this feasibility study comparable with other options that the

County is considering, the renovation of Linn County West has the following goals:

1. Provide permanent office space for the departments currently located at Linn County West

and identified by Linn County as intended to remain.

2. Provide permanent office space for as yet unidentified departments, agencies or tenants

with a similar use of space as those departments being relocated to other facilities from

Linn County West.

3. Bring Linn County West into conformance with current building and energy Codes.

4. Provide finishes consistent with proposed renovation of the Linn County Administrative

Office Building (AOB).

5. The offices located at Linn County West are to remain open and accessible to the public

throughout construction.

6. The renovated Linn County West will qualify for LEED Silver certification.


5/83

Executive Summary


6/83

page 3 of 55


Executive Summary

Area of Linn County West

Land: 8.9+/- Acres

Building: 119,544 s.f.

Renovation Goals

1. Provide permanent office space for the departments currently located at Linn County West

and identified by Linn County as intended to remain.

2. Provide permanent office space for as yet unidentified departments, agencies or tenants

with a similar use of space as those departments being relocated to other facilities from

Linn County West.

3. Bring Linn County West into conformance with current building and energy Codes.

4. Provide finishes consistent with proposed renovation of the Linn County Administrative

Office Building (AOB).

5. The offices located at Linn County West are to remain open and accessible to the public

throughout construction.

6. The renovated Linn County West will qualify for LEED Silver certification.

Renovation First Cost: $ 15,289,000

Anticipated Annual Energy Costs: $ 77,500

Annual Common Area maintenance (CAM) Fees $ 50,000

Life Cycle Cost Analysis: Calculated Total Present Worth $ 19,409,030


7/83

Space Needs


8/83

page 4 of 55


Space Needs

The current configuration of spaces in the Linn County West building includes a number of

agencies or departments already scheduled to be relocated to other facilities. The specific space

requirements for these agencies are not included as part of this study, but the square footage they

occupy is. These departments or agencies scheduled for relocation include:

Clerk of Courts Juvenile & Traffic

Court Family, Traffic & Juvenile

General Assistance

Juvenile Probation

Linn County Community Services (LCCS)

LCCS Financial

LCCS Conference Rooms

MHDD Case Management

MHDD / CPC

MHDD In-Home Services & Supervised Apartment Living

MHDD - Intake Services

MHDD Protective Payee

Veterans Affairs

Most of these agencies are located on the second floor of the LCW building and occupy all of that

level except the Loading Dock and Purchasing/Mail Room. Family, Traffic and Juvenile Court, the

Clerk of Courts for Juvenile & Traffic and the Juvenile Probation office occupy a large area on the

ground floor of the LCW building.


9/83

page 5 of 55


The Board of Supervisors has considered other departments currently housed at the LCW

building for relocation to the Administration Office Building (AOB). These other departments

would remain at Linn County West if renovation of this facility into permanent county offices is

judged to be more feasible than other options. Table 1 lists the agencies that would remain at

LCW, the square footage they currently occupy, the space that has been assigned for them at the

AOB, and the space that has been budgeted to them in the LCW for this study. The larger square

footages occupied by each department in the current configuration is assumed to be the result of

inefficiencies in the layout driven by the need to locate the offices in the LCW quickly and with

minimum remodeling. The AOB space assignments result from a more careful consideration of

departmental needs and more accurately reflect the true space requirements for each

department. The program spaces used for this study are based on the space assignments

established for the AOB.


10/83

page 6 of 55


Table 1: Space Needs for County Departments Identified To Remain At LCW

LCW Current

Space Usage

AOB Space

Assignment

Assumed

Space Needs

Departments to Remain at LCW Sq. Ft. Sq. Ft. Sq. Ft.

Assessor County 3,024 2,668 2,700

Auditor 7,104 4,480 4,500

Board of Supervisors / Finance 3,536 3,500

Human Resources / Risk6,984

1,680 1,700

Supervisors Meeting Room 1,152 1,928 2,000

Purchasing / Mail Room 1,728 1,232 1,200

Recorder 5,760 4,928 4,900

Treasurer / Motor Vehicle 10,080 6,048 6,000

Planning / Development 4,608 2,760 2,800

IT Dept. 4,032 3,192 3,200

Facilities Unknown 2,658 2,700

Shared Conference Rooms 690 6,104 6,100

Electrical/Communications 285 400

Mechanical Spaces3,664

899 1,500

Total 48,826 42,398 43,200


11/83

page 7 of 55


The total area of program spaces identified in Table 1 is considerably less than the available

space in the building. For the purposes of calculating air conditioning requirements and energy

demands for this study, it will be assumed that the County would fill the available space in the

building with other departments having similar offices.

Conference rooms are necessary to conduct routine business in most offices. Because they are

typically not used continuously, conference rooms offer an opportunity to share a resource among

departments. Strategic location of the conference rooms allows individual departments to take

ownership of smaller conference rooms, controlling that rooms scheduling for their convenience,

while facilitating the use of that same room by other departments when needed. Larger

conference rooms should be considered community property and should be located so that they

are not likely to become the property of any one department. Instead they should be located for

convenient use by multiple departments or by the public.


12/83

Existing Conditions


13/83

page 8 of 55


Available Space

The Lynn County West building includes 74,820 gross square feet on the lower level. The upper

level includes 36,444 gross square feet plus 4,616 gross square feet in what had previously

been known as the Outdoor Sales Area.

The Outdoor Sales Area is protected by its roof, a wall it shares with the main building on the

north and another wall that separates it from some mechanical spaces on the east. The south

and west sides are open to the weather, enclosed only by columns supporting the roof with steel

gates between. Since the closing of the Wards store, painted plywood attached to the interior

side of the steel gates has sealed the space from public view and to reduce the need for

maintenance in the area. Although not originally intended as part of the buildings interior space,

it would not be difficult to renovate this area into interior space. However, for the purposes of

this study, when energy costs and life cycle costs are calculated, the Outdoor Sales Area will

not be counted as conditioned interior space.

The following table summarizes the available space at Linn County West:

Table 2: Available Space at Linn County West

Upper Level

Primary Space 36,444 g.s.f.

Former Outdoor Sales 4,616 g.s.f.

Mechanical Penthouses 2,991 g.s.f.

Mechanical Rooms 673 g.s.f

44,724 g.s.f.

Lower Level 74,820 g.s.f.

Total 119,544 g.s.f.


14/83

page 9 of 55


The land associated with Linn County West covers an area of just under nine acres and

includes driveways and paved parking areas on the north, east and south sides of the building.

Surface parking is provided for 553 vehicles. The parking areas and driveways are paved with

asphalt originally installed in 1980. The condition of the asphalt is poor. Stormwater

management occurs off-site.

Existing Conditions: Site

Most of the site beyond the footprint of the Linn County West building is paved for walks, drives

and parking. Most of that pavement is in poor condition and has been allowed to deteriorate to

the point that it should be replaced. Vegetated areas are limited to a narrow strips between the

building and the perimeter sidewalk, to a steep side slope separating the south parking area

from the east parking area, to a small and narrow side slope separating the east parking area

from an entrance drive, and one small, triangular island marking the north side of an access

drive. There is no provision for detaining or treating stormwater on site.

Existing Conditions: Building Structure and Envelope

The Linn County West building is a free-standing, two-story, steel-framed structure independent

of the structure of Westdale Mall. Elements of the existing steel frame appear to be in good

condition as does the elevated floor slab. The joint separating the two structures is bridged by

cap flashing and sealants on the exterior, and by joint covers on the interior. If the mall building

were to be razed, wall materials would be exposed to view and to the weather that were not

intended to be exposed. The Linn County West building would remain essentially complete, but

new cladding would be needed in these areas to protect and conceal the newly exposed wall

materials.


15/83

page 10 of 55


A building envelope is the assembly of materials that shelter the buildings interior spaces from

the outdoor environment: the roof, the walls with doors and windows, the foundation and the

floor slab at grade. The visual characteristics of the building envelope provide cues to a

buildings style and appeal. The performance characteristics of the building envelope play a

large role in determining a buildings energy efficiency and the comfort of its inhabitants.

The existing building envelope at Lynn County West is in need of extensive maintenance work.

Water infiltration to occupied spaces following recent rains indicates that the building envelope

may be failing at a number of points. The building is poorly insulated by todays standards. The

masonry exhibits extensive damage attributable to water infiltration and thermal movement.


16/83

page 11 of 55


The original roof design was a built-up bituminous membrane laid over 2 1/4 of rigid insulation

on a structurally sloped roof deck. The existing roofing system is a fully-adhered TPO

membrane over insulation on most of the building area. Two areas of roofing flanking the

mechanical penthouse have a ballasted TPO membrane. No roofing cores were taken at the

time observations were made for this study to determine the type or thickness of insulation in

the current roofing assembly. A warranty placard on display at the roof access indicates that

the TPO roofing system was under warranty until August 7, 2002. The system is now seven

years beyond its warranty date. Observations on the roof of fresh sealant applied at membrane

flashing keeper bars, of newer membrane patches and of ballast raked back to expose

membrane seams suggest an on-going battle against leaks. The roof exhibits numerous repairs

and is old enough that total replacement as part of the renovation makes the most sense.


17/83

page 12 of 55


The exterior masonry is a veneer of dark-colored, king-size, fired-clay brick units set in a 1/3

running bond. Typically, the masonry has an 8 steel stud frame back-up, but in specific areas,

such as at stair towers or at elevator shafts, the masonry has a concrete block back-up. There is

3 batt insulation with a vapor barrier facing the buildings interior between the studs where

the back-up is steel stud framing. Only thick rigid insulation is indicated for locations having

block back-up.

Typical for masonry veneer wall construction in the late 1970s, the wall is treated as a barrier

with little or no provision made to manage water that may infiltrate the wall system. There is no

space between the brick veneer and its back-up to channel water away from the buildings

interior. There is no damp-proofing or building wrap indicated between the brick and the back-up

sheathing. No through-wall flashings are indicated in the plans for the foundation-masonry

interface or for other key locations, and no evidence of through-wall flashings was observed on

site. Relief joints in the masonry require new sealants. The existing sealants at relief joints have

cracked and pulled away from the masonry, providing little or no protection against water

infiltration.


18/83

page 13 of 55


There are no windows penetrating the masonry envelope. The only windows to the exterior in

the Linn County West building are side lights at the entrance vestibules and some skylights over

the escalators. The absence of natural light in the buildings interior may have been suitable for

a department store, but it is not acceptable for office space.

Parapets are those portions of the wall rising above a buildings roof line. The Linn County West

building features fairly tall parapets made to look like a seamless continuation of the wall below.

The framing for the parapets is typically a balloon-framed extension of the lower walls back-up

framing. The roof side of most parapets is clad with painted, corrugated steel panels over a

double layer of gypsum board sheathing. The paint on the steel panels is heavily oxidized and

the panels exhibit rust in many places. The wall that is common with mall is faced with fired clay

brick set in a 1/3 running bond backed with concrete masonry units. Metal cap flashings at

parapets also exhibit some rusting.

The Linn County West building also features five porches at the public entrances. The porches

feature masonry columns supporting massive masonry volumes designed to break down the

buildings scale and provide visual interest. The masonry volumes provide no usable space

within the building. The porches also feature banks of skylights over key entrances. The

masonry at the porches is in poor condition. There is evidence of water leaking into the wall

system from the skylights and of thermal stress on the brick units.


19/83

page 14 of 55


The original construction drawings show that the concrete foundations were to be protected

from water infiltration by the application of a 20 mil neoprene membrane extending from grade

to the footing, and with a flashing of the same neoprene material across the top of the footing

adding protection to the joint between the footing and the foundation wall. Four-inch diameter

footing drains to intercept ground water were to be installed at the base of the south foundation

wall and along the south end of the east foundation wall where the earth is graded up to the

buildings upper floor level. No clean-outs were observed for this footing drain and no outlet for

this drain was observed. No determination of silting within the drain could be made. Whether or

not the footing drain is functioning at all was not determined. County employees have installed a

new sump and pump along the buildings east wall outside of the freight elevator shaft. The new

sump pump is set to discharge water to the adjacent planting bed.


20/83

page 15 of 55


The original construction drawings indicate that 1 thick rigid insulation was to be applied to the

top four feet on the exterior side of foundations walls that were not exposed. Where the upper

parts of foundation walls were exposed, such as at the loading docks, the insulation was to be

applied to the first four feet below grade. The existence or condition of this insulation has not

been confirmed.

The original construction documents show the floor on the ground level of the building

constructed as a 4 concrete slab over a 6 mil membrane on a sand bed at least 4 thick. A

water stop was to have been cast into the joint between the floor slab and the foundation wall.


21/83

page 16 of 55


Existing Conditions: Electrical Power Distribution and Lighting

Linn County West inherited a 277/480 volt, 3,000 amp electrical service when it took possession

of the former Montgomery Wards store. The main switchboard is fed from a pad-mounted

transformer owned by Alliant Energy. The main switchboard feeds several 277/480 volt

distribution panels throughout the facility as well as a motor control center located in the

mechanical penthouse. At each 277/480 volt distribution panel location there is a transformer

and 120/208 volt panelboard. The original design drawing indicates that the large feeders used

aluminum conductors.

Generally, the electrical distribution system is functional; however, it is nearing the end of its

service life. Since the facility was designed as a department store, the major electrical loads

were cooling, heating and lighting with little 120/208 volt distribution. At least two of the

underground feeder conduits were conveying ground water into the distribution panels.


22/83

page 17 of 55


Emergency power is provided by a 45 kW gasoline engine driven generator and an automatic

transfer switch feeding an emergency panel. The engine-generator is original to the building. It

was not functional at the time of inspection, but was in the process of being repaired. The

engine generator is at the end of its service life and does not meet Linn Countys requirements

to have emergency power for the entire facility.

Lighting systems in the building date to the original construction. Open areas are lit with 6-lamp

fluorescent fixtures with egg-crate grills. Storage areas are lit with continuous rows of open

lamp fluorescent T12 strip fixtures. Lighting control is through lighting contactors distributed

throughout the facility.


23/83

page 18 of 55


The existing lighting systems exceed current energy code power density limits. The light fixture

type and light distribution is not appropriate for an office environment.

Existing telecommunicating infrastructure consists of a central computer room and intermediate

distribution points located throughout the facility. All current telecommunication facilities were

installed by the County. All telecommunications facilities will require replacement or relocation to

dedicated equipment spaces and cable pathways.

The existing fire alarm system is an addressable Notifier system with audible and visual

annunciation throughout the building and with smoke detection in select areas. The system

does not meet the Countys requirement to combine the fire alarm with a mass communication

system and no components are salvageable.


24/83

page 19 of 55


Existing Conditions: Mechanical Systems

Cooling

The building is cooled by three water cooled reciprocating chillers and a cooling tower located

on the roof outside the mechanical penthouse. The mechanical penthouse also contains two

custom built air handling units. Each unit contains a large array of pleated filters, direct

expansion cooling coils and a belt driven fan with inlet vanes for air volume control. HR Green

was unable to determine whether the inlet guide vanes still operated or what controls the

position of the vanes. Conditioned air is delivered to spaces via ductwork containing variable air

volume boxes that modulate in response to space temperatures. Air is returned to the unit

through a return air plenum above the ceiling on both floors. The mechanical penthouse

contains two large outside air louvers and two large relief air louvers each with roll-up doors on

the exterior side. Outside air and return air are mixed in the space outside the air handling unit

rooms. Currently, both relief air louvers are blocked causing relief air to exit by exfiltration

through mall entrances. One outside air louver has been blocked and the other has been

reduced in size resulting in an unknown amount of outside air entering the building.


25/83

page 20 of 55


The cooling system dates from original construction with very few modifications since that time.

The system was reported to be functional but all the equipment has exceeded its useful life.

The cooling tower shows signs of organic deposits on the interior of the unit which reduces the

efficiency of the unit. The chillers are less efficient than currently available cooling systems and

also contain the refrigerant R-22 which is being phased out of production in 2010. The existing

ductwork is sized and arranged to accommodate an open floor plan department store. The

ductwork is not sized correctly nor will the ductwork layout be sufficient when the space is

converted to an office type environment. In addition, due to its age, the ductwork is assumed to

have air leaks which result in higher energy costs. The entire cooling system including

ductwork and the air handling units will require replacement.

The computer/communications room is cooled year-round by a split system air conditioning unit

installed as part of the temporary renovation required for the county to occupy the building. The

space is served by a single unit and no backup system is present if the primary system fails.

Heating

The building is heated by a separate ductwork system. Electric resistance furnaces are located

above the ceiling and scattered throughout the building. The furnaces use air from the return

plenum above the ceiling and supply warm air through diffusers identical in appearance to the

cooling system diffusers. Smaller spaces created by the temporary remodel are likely to have

only one supply of air (hot or cold). Heat in entrances and auxiliary spaces is provided by

electric unit heaters and electric radiant heaters. Electric baseboards are used to handle the

skin loads in rooms with exterior walls. The two air handling units are reported to still operate

during the winter months to provide ventilation air to the building. The ventilation air is not


26/83

page 21 of 55


conditioned during the winter and a high return air to outside air ratio must be relied upon to

keep supply air temperatures high enough to avoid occupant discomfort.

The use of electric resistance heating throughout the building leads to high electrical

consumption and demand charges during the winter months. In addition, the entire heating

system dates from original construction making the equipment approximately 31 years old. The

equipment has exceeded its useful life and is an inefficient way to heat the building. The entire

heating system will require replacement.

Controls

The building is currently controlled by a pneumatic control system dating from the original

construction. The control system is reported to be working but the level of actual control over

the system is unknown. Due to the age of the system, it is very likely that the control has

diminished since original installation and that portions of the system may not function. In

addition, current Linn County building standards utilize direct digital control systems. The

control system will need to be completely removed and replaced.


27/83

page 22 of 55


Fire Protection

The existing fire protection system was installed to meet the requirements of an open floor plan

department store. Conversion of the space to an office layout will change the sprinkler

requirements. In order to adequately protect the new layout, the existing sprinkler will need to

be completely demolished and a new system designed and installed.


28/83

page 23 of 55


Plumbing

The building contains plumbing from original construction along with new plumbing that was

added to meet the needs of the temporary reconstruction. Locations of restrooms and quantity

of fixtures will be modified if the space is remodeled resulting in the need to remove all existing

plumbing. The existing fixtures do not meet the water efficiency requirements of the Energy

Policy Act (Epact) of 1992 or the LEED rating system and they will need to be replaced with

more water efficient fixtures.


29/83

Project Constraints


30/83

page 24 of 55


Applicable Codes

As a County-owned facility, Linn County West is subject to applicable Linn County Codes:

International Building Code (IBC), 2006 Edition as amended by the Linn County Board

of Supervisors;

International Fire Code (IFC), 2006 Edition as amended by the Linn County Board of

Supervisors;

Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), 2003 Edition as amended by the Linn County Board of

Supervisors;

ICC Electrical Code, 2006 Edition as amended by the Linn County Board of

Supervisors;

Linn County Mechanical Regulations:

o International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2006 Edition as amended by the Linn

County Board of Supervisors;

o International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), 2006 Edition as amended by the Linn

County Board of Supervisors.

The Cedar Rapids Zoning Ordinance applies to parking requirements. (Section 32.05.020

Parking Standards, B. Off-Street Parking Requirements, 2. Amounts of Off-Street parking

Required See Table 32.05-4:Minimum Off-Street Parking Requirements for Office; business,

professional, or governmental not listed separately: 4 per 1,000 s.f. Gross Floor Area.) With a

gross floor area of 119,544 square feet, Linn County West is required to provide 479 off-street

parking spaces.


31/83

page 25 of 55


Easements and Agreements

The real estate associated with Linn County West is encumbered with a series of easements

and agreements that integrate the use of the building and land associated with Westdale Mall

with the building and parking areas belonging to Linn County West. These provisions grant each

party easements into, over and across each others land and define how the maintenance and

operation of common areas will be managed and paid for. Succession and assignment clauses

cause the easements and agreements to run with the land and to survive changes in ownership

until July 14, 2037.

Some of the key easements are:

For the passage and parking of vehicles and accommodation of pedestrians;

The right to eject persons not authorized to use the common area;

For the installation, operation, maintenance, repair or relocation of underground utilites;

For the purposes of development and construction.

Key agreements address common area development and maintenance and include:

Proportional responsibility for costs associated with construction of improvements to the

common areas;

Allocable Share of Common Area Maintenance Costs (CAM)

Restrict designated employee parking to spaces at least 250 feet from the enclosed

mall;

Process for withdrawing a tract from the maintenance and operation provisions of the

agreement for the common areas;


32/83

page 26 of 55


Required parking ratio (5.3 automobile parking spaces for each 1,000 gross square feet

of floor area = (119,544 g.s.f. / 1,000 g.s.f) x 5.3 = 634 automobile parking spaces.);

Membership in the Merchants Association;

Maximum development of floor area for Linn County West limited to 126,000 square

feet;

Signage characteristics;

Some costs to Linn County West associated with the Common Area Maintenance (CAM)

provisions are known. For the purposes of this study, the CAM assessments will be assigned

the value of $50,000 annually. Other costs, such as the dues for membership in the Merchants

Association are unknown and not factored into the operating costs addressed in this study.

If Linn County were to pursue making the former Wards store into permanent County offices, it

may want to open negotiations with the Mall operator over issues such as membership in the

Merchants Association and its share of CAM fees. The CAM fees are structured on the

assumption that every property or tenant associated with the mall benefits equally per square

foot from the amenities of the enclosed mall. This may have been true when all of the occupants

were retail businesses that depended for their revenues on the traffic these amenities

generated. The County enjoys no such benefit, and in fact may help to generate traffic to the

benefit of its neighbors at the mall.


33/83

LEED


34/83

page 27 of 55


LEED Silver Certification

Linn County has set a goal for the renovation of Linn County West to be certified with a LEED

Silver rating. The LEED(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building

Rating System is a voluntary, third-party certification process that evaluates projects using a

consensus-based rating system for the design, construction and operation of high-performance

green buildings. LEED 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovations, recently published

by the U.S. Green Building Council, provides the criteria used by this study.

LEED has four levels of certification:

Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

A project must earn 50-59 of the

possible 100 points available in the

rating system to achieve LEED Silver certification. Key areas evaluated in the certification

process include Sustainable Site Development, Energy Efficiency, Indoor Environmental

Quality, Water Efficiency and Materials and Resources.

The Linn County West renovation project offers many opportunities to make improvements in

each of these areas. A preliminary tabulation of the potential LEED points this project could

earn indicates that the Linn County West renovation can achieve LEED Silver certification with

55 LEED points. See Appendix A.


35/83

page 28 of 55


Sustainable Site Development

(21 LEED Points Anticipated)

The site scores very well in the categories of good community connectivity and access to public

transportation with no effort. Linn County West can earn five points for its location alone: It is

located on a previously developed site. It is within mile of a residential neighborhood

averaging ten housing units per acre. It is within mile of at least ten basic services and has

pedestrian access between Linn County West and those basic services. Another six points is

earned because two Cedar Rapids Transit bus routes, Route #10 and Route #12, run to

Westdale Mall and have stops within mile walking distance from the front entrance of Linn

County West.

The project can earn an additional LEED point by providing bicycle storage for at least 5% of all

of the building users in conjunction with providing shower and changing facilities for % of the

buildings full-time equivalent employees. Another three LEED points can be earned by

reserving 5% of the parking spaces for low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles and locating those

reserved spaces closest to building entrances. (Spaces reserved for handicapped persons will

always have precedence in being located close to building entrances over other kinds of

reserved parking.)

Choices made regarding the design of the proposed roof replacement and re-pavement of the

parking areas can result in a reduction of the heat island effect and possibly earn another two

LEED points. Choosing parking lot lighting fixtures that direct light downward and do not bleed

light off of the property will earn another point for Light Pollution Reduction.


36/83

page 29 of 55


Additional work could be done to reduce the rate of stormwater run-off from Linn County West,

and to improve the quality of stormwater discharged from the site. However, these

improvements would have a large impact on the project cost and only earn a maximum of two

LEED points, so they have not been included among the strategies being pursued in this study.

Water Efficiency


Water use reduction by 20% is a prerequisite of the LEED certification. This study anticipates

reducing water use at Linn County West by 30% to earn two LEED points. All of the existing

plumbing fixtures, which are thirty years old, are proposed to be replaced with new, water-

conserving fixtures in the renovation.

The local plumbing Code does not permit the use of gray water for flushing toilets. Further

reductions in water use can be achieved, however, by selecting plant materials for landscape

areas that require little or no irrigation and by using only collected rainwater for the irrigation that

does occur. The project could earn an additional four LEED points for eliminating the need for

using potable water for landscape support.

Energy & Atmosphere


LEED has three prerequisites that must be met before any

additional points are earned in the Energy and Atmosphere

category: Fundamental Commissioning must be performed to verify

that the projects energy-related systems are installed and calibrated


37/83

page 30 of 55


to perform as intended. The renovated buildings energy performance must be 5% better than

the renovated buildings calculated baseline performance rating. The renovated buildings HVAC

system must use no CFC-based refrigerants.

Most of the LEED points to be gained under the category of Energy Efficiency will be found in

the sub-category of Optimize Energy Performance. Optimizing energy performance involves

the pursuit of strategies that improve a buildings energy performance beyond the standard of

the prerequisite. Strategies for optimizing a buildings energy performance include

improvements to the building envelopes thermal performance, use of high-efficiency HVAC

systems, the use of high efficiency lighting fixtures, and the use of occupancy sensor controls

for lighting and ventilation. This study anticipates earning seven LEED points for optimizing Linn

County Wests energy performance.

Other strategies proposed for earning LEED credits under the category of Energy & Atmosphere

for Linn County West include Enhanced Commissioning, Enhanced Refrigeration Management

and Measurement & Verification.

Enhanced Commissioning involves an independent commissioning authority who reports

directly to the Owner early in the design process to lead, review and oversee the completion of

all commissioning process activities. The Commissioning Authority participates through the

construction period to review contractor submittals and to perform basic commissioning

services. Ten months after substantial completion the Commissioning Authority reviews

operation of the building and provides recommendations for fine-tuning or recalibration of

systems. Enhanced Refrigeration Management requires the selection of central HVAC


38/83

page 31 of 55


equipment that minimizes the use of ozone-depleting refrigerants and the implementation of an

equipment maintenance program to prevent refrigerant leakage. Measurement & Verification

requires the development and implementation of a plan to meter equipment and track energy

use against the predicted performance of the design. This study anticipates earning six more

LEED points for pursuing these strategies.

Materials and Resources


The category of Materials and Resources awards LEED points for the recycling and re-use of

used materials, the incorporation of recycled materials into new work, the re-use of existing

buildings, minimizing the distance materials need to be transported and for the selection of

renewable products. It is the realization of the concept to reduce, reuse, recycle at the heart of

the green movement. The Linn County West Renovation project will pursue points under the

subcategories of Construction Waste management and Regional Materials.

Construction Waste management involves recycling or salvaging nonhazardous construction

and demolition debris. A construction waste management plan would be implemented to identify

materials that are to be diverted from the waste stream. For the Linn County West project

materials that could be diverted from the waste stream include: light gauge steel framing

members, hollow metal doors and frames, gypsum board, glass, aluminum storefront framing,

copper piping and cables, steel ceiling suspension grid, fired-clay brick, Portland concrete and

asphaltic concrete. It is assumed that these materials will easily constitute over 55% of the total

waste by weight generated for this project. Implementation of construction waste management

plan would earn the project one LEED point.


39/83

page 32 of 55


Regional Materials awards points for the incorporation of materials that are extracted and

manufactured within 500 miles of the project to minimize the impact of transporting materials. It

is assumed that at least 10% of the materials incorporated into the Linn County West

renovation, based on cost, will be from sources within that 500 mile radius earning one more

LEED point.

This study is not assuming that the Linn County West project will earn the any of the three

LEED points available for the re-use of an existing building. At least 55% of the original

buildings structure and envelope must be re-used to qualify for the first point. The Linn County

West renovation project may not meet this threshold because this study assumes that all of the

existing masonry veneer will be replaced to enhance the buildings thermal performance and

water infiltration management.

Indoor Environmental Quality


The Indoor Environmental Quality credits support project choices that enhance the health and

well-being of building occupants through the reduction of indoor air pollutants, good ventilation,

reduction of indoor contaminants and provision of the means to isolate and filter those

contaminants that are present, the introduction of natural daylight into occupied spaces and

views to the outside.

This study focuses on those sub-categories addressing indoor air quality, control of lighting

systems by occupants and thermal comfort for strategies to earn LEED points. The HVAC

system for the Linn County West renovation is assumed to include a building automation system


40/83

page 33 of 55


that monitors air flow and carbon dioxide levels, and issues a warning when measurements vary

by more than 10%. Monitoring outdoor air delivery in this way earns one LEED point.

Implementing an indoor air quality plan during construction is important because the facility will

be occupied throughout construction, and it will earn the project one more LEED point.

Specifying low-emitting adhesives and sealants, paints and coatings, and carpet systems

reduces the contamination of indoor air with volatile organic compounds (VOC) and earns

another three LEED points for the project.

Providing control of lighting to individual occupants or groups of occupants allows them to tailor

their light usage to their particular needs and earls one more LEED point for the project.

Providing occupant control for thermal comfort may be achieved through multiple strategies

including the use of individual thermostat controls, operable windows, manual diffuser dampers

and control of individual radiant panels. Enabling a minimum of 50% of the buildings occupants

to make adjustments to meet their individual needs and preferences will earn Linn County West

one LEED point.

This study also assumes that the Linn County

West renovation will be designed with an HVAC

system and building envelope meeting the

requirements of ASHRAE Standard 55-2004,

Thermal Comfort Conditions for Human


41/83

page 34 of 55


Occupancy, earning one LEED point. The HVAC system would include a permanent monitoring

system to measure and track the buildings performance against design comfort criteria to

provide verification. Verification would be also be provided by a thermal comfort survey

proposed to occur six to eighteen months after occupancy to assess overall occupant

satisfaction with the thermal performance of the building or to identify thermal comfort-related

problems. These verification efforts will earn Linn County West one additional LEED point.

This study assumes that daylighting will be greatly enhanced at Linn County West by the

introduction of many windows and some skylights to a building that has virtually none now.

However, the geometry of the building makes it very difficult to meet the threshold to earn

additional LEED points for daylighting and views. This study does not assume any LEED points

will be earned under these subcategories.

Innovation in Design

(1 LEED Point Anticipated)

The Innovation in Design category provides one LEED point that should be a given on any project

seeking LEED certification: one LEED point for having a LEED accredited professional on the

design team. There are additional points that can be earned under this category for innovative

design. This study assumes that the point for including a LEED accredited professional is earned,

but does not assume any innovative design credits are earned.


42/83

page 35 of 55


Regional Priority


Regional Priority credits can are bonus points awarded in addition to the base 100 points available.

Up to four Regional Priority credits can be earned by obtaining the LEED credits for categories that

have been identified by the USGBC regional council as having special environmental importance

for that region. The following categories have been designated as regional priorities in the area of

Linn County West:

Sustainable Sites Credit 2: Development Density and Community Connectivity

Sustainable Sites Credit 4.1: Alternate Transportation Public Transportation Access

Sustainable Sites Credit 4.2: Alternate Transportation Bicycle Storage and Changing Rooms

Sustainable Sites Credit 6.1: Stormwater Design Quantity Control

Water Efficiency Credit 2: Innovative Wastewater Technologies

Materials & Resources Credit 2: Construction Waste Management

This study has already indicated anticipation that Linn County West will earn the available points for

four of the identified regional priorities: Development Density and Community Connectivity, for

Alternate Transportation Public Transportation Access, for Alternate Transportation Bicycle

Storage and Changing Rooms and for Construction Waste Management. Linn County West should,

therefore, qualify for the associated LEED points for Regional Priority.

It has been determined that a LEED Silver Rating is very achievable for the Linn County West

project. If the County chose to pursue all of the credits identified in this study as having a

moderate impact on the design for Linn County West, a total of 79 points could be earned for a

possible LEED Gold rating.


43/83

Renovation Scope


44/83

page 36 of 55


Renovation Scope

The scope of construction work required to achieve the goals of this renovation is assumed as

follows:

Site Work

This study assumes that all of the parking area and drives paved with asphalt will be repaved as

part of the Linn County West renovation. Two different strategies for replacing the pavement

were given consideration. The first strategy is the most basic: simply repave those areas

currently paved with asphalt with new asphalt. The second strategy considered the potential for

improving the sites stormwater retention by replacing 20% of the traditional asphalt paving with

a permeable pavement system. The construction cost for pursuing the second strategy was

42% greater than repaving with traditional asphalt. The goal of earning LEED Silver certification

for this project can be accomplished without incurring the cost of installing the permeable

pavement. For this study it is assumed that permeable pavement is not used.

Some additional green space will be obtained by the elimination of part of the truck well outside

of the loading docks on the south side of the buildings upper floor. The truck loading dock built

to support shipments to the Montgomery Wards department store is greatly oversized for the

operation of a county office building. Of the six existing loading bays, one is dedicated for refuse

collection and five are set up for loading and unloading semi trucks. At least three of the bays

will be converted to other uses and about 1,700 square feet of pavement front of them will be

demolished to create the new garden area.


45/83

page 37 of 55


Building Demolition

Demolition of the existing finishes, partitions, fixtures and equipment will be extensive. This

study assumes that the roofing will be torn-off down to the metal roof deck. The exterior wythe

of masonry will be removed, but the steel back-up framing will be retained. The existing

entrance porches and their structure would also be removed. All interior partition framing and

gypsum board, finishes, plumbing, lights and equipment would be removed. The escalators

would be removed. The existing passenger elevator would also be removed. The existing fire

sprinkler system would be removed. And finally, the existing HVAC system and all of its

ductwork would be removed.

Building Construction

The building envelope will require a great deal of work. A new built-up roofing system will be

installed with insulation to raise the roofs R-value to 30. A green roofing system was

considered, but discarded for this study. The existing roof structure would need to be enhanced

to support the loads for a traditional green roof, and the LEED points available for this work

were not needed to achieve the goal of LEED Silver certification.


46/83

page 38 of 55


Insulation for the exterior walls will also be enhanced raising their R-value to 24. The exterior

walls would be reconstructed to manage water infiltration. Masonry walls would be constructed

as rain-screen cavity walls with a 1 to 2 air space immediately behind the brick to intercept

water that penetrates the system and then channel it to flashings that redirect the water back to

the outside of the wall. A continuous 2 layer of rigid insulation board and a weather barrier are

located over the sheathing on the inboard side of the cavity to minimize thermal bridging at the

studs. Fiberglass batt insulation would be installed in the spaces between the existing 8 deep

steel studs. The wall would be finished with a continuous vapor barrier covered with 5/8

gypsum board on the interior side.

The added insulation and air space required for the masonry rain-screen cavity walls requires

an additional 4 wall thickness. Because we are re-using the steel stud back-up framing in

place, that entire additional width is toward the outside of the wall. Where masonry rain-screen

walls are to be constructed for this project, therefore, foundations will need to be made 4

thicker as well. Excavations to modify the foundations provide an opportunity to refresh

foundation damp proofing.

Not all of the existing masonry would be replaced with new masonry rain-screen cavity walls.

Introducing day lighting and views to the renovated building is part of the strategy for achieving

LEED Silver certification. Up to 40% of a wall can be opened as windows and still meet the

requirements of the Energy Code. Curtain wall rain-screen will be used in lieu of masonry in

some areas. Curtain wall provides the opportunity to introduce light and views, to manage water

infiltration and to enhance thermal performance without the need to make the foundation any

thicker.


47/83

page 39 of 55


The number of entrances would be reduced. The existing building has four large entrances on

the lower level, two facing north and two facing east, plus one large entrance to the upper level

from the south. This study assumes that there will be only two entrances on the lower level, one

from the north and one from the east, and one to the second level from the south. Each exterior

entrance will feature two pairs of glass doors in a glass and thermally broken aluminum

storefront fame with a second set of two pairs of glass doors in a glass and storefront frame to

create a vestibule.

The number of sanitary plumbing fixtures will be increased and public restrooms will be

relocated for more convenient access. Most of the restroom fixtures are currently located on the

lower level near the center of the south wall. Three single-user restrooms are currently located

on the upper level near the west end of the south wall. With all of the restrooms combined, the

existing fixture count does not satisfy the requirements of the Uniform Plumbing Code for Linn

County Wests occupant load. For the purposes of this study it is assumed that the renovation

will provide one public restroom for each sex centrally located on each level, one public family


48/83

page 40 of 55


restroom on each level located near the public restrooms, a staff restroom with a single shower

for each sex to be located near an employee lunch room and a private, unisex restroom located

near the Supervisors Board Room. A janitors closet with mop sink would be located on each

floor. Four pairs of drinking fountains would be located along corridors. Relocating plumbing

fixtures will entail cutting openings in the floor slab for installation of the new drains.

The escalators are to be removed because there is not enough

expected traffic to justify their continuous energy consumption

and because they represent a safety risk. During a visit to Linn

County West in preparation of this report, a senior citizen was

observed trying to descend on the escalator. He was unsteady

and having difficulty coordinating his step with the movement

of the escalator. In his first attempt he nearly pitched forward

down the steps. Before he tried again, one of the observers

suggested that he may prefer using the passenger elevator.

He was grateful to find out that there was a passenger

elevator. He had looked for one, but couldnt find it. For the renovation, we are proposing that

the escalators be replaced with a new, centrally located elevator, and that the two levels of Linn

County West should be connected with a new, centrally located open stairway.


49/83

page 41 of 55


Power Distribution and Grounding

The electrical service will consist of a new 277/480,

electrical service with new distribution to mechanical

equipment, lighting panels and 120/208 volt branch

panels. Branch panels are to have 200% rated neutrals

for non-linear loads. All dry-type transformers are to be

NEMA T-3 energy efficient, and K-rated. Feeds will be

designed for a 2% max voltage drop. Surge protective devices (SPDs) will be provided

on the main switchboard and all 120/208 volt branch panels. A dedicated transformer

and branch panel will be provided for the main telecommunication room in accordance

with EIA/TIA 568.

A new grounding electrode system will be established and telecommunications

grounding system will be installed in accordance with EIA/TIA 607.

All conduits will be provided with an equipment ground conductor.

Emergency Power

The emergency power system will be capable of supplying power to the entire facility. A

diesel driven engine-generator will be housed in a walk in weatherproof enclosure with a

24 hour base mounted fuel tank. A closed-transition transfer switch will allow power to

EIA/TIA 607 TelecommunicationsGrounding Bars


50/83

page 42 of 55


LED Task Lighting

be switched from source to source without interruption of power, allowing the facility to

be on an interruptible electrical rate, or control their electrical demand.

Lighting

A new fluorescent lighting system will be

designed to work with a new task lighting

system and provide an overall lighting

system with a power density of 0.75 watts

per square foot exceeding ASHRAE 90.1

and applicable Energy Codes. The

lighting system will utilize high-performance T8 lamp and ballast combination and LED

task lighting.

High Performance T8 Lighting


51/83

page 43 of 55


A lighting control system incorporating daylighting control, occupancy sensors and

schedules will control the lighting system. Architectural lighting will be installed at select

public areas.

Exterior lighting will be designed to exceed energy code requirements. All exterior lights

will be full cut-off.

Telecommunications Infrastructure

The telecommunications infrastructure will be in accordance with EIA/TIA 568 and 569.

Category 6 cables will be routed through a cable tray system to a central

telecommunications room. Intermediate communication rooms will be provided as

required to meet EIA/TIA 568. Telecommunications shall be complete from the outlet to

the patch panel.

Access Control System and Closed Circuit Television

An Access Control System (ACS) using the Countys approved vendor will be installed.

The ACS will utilize proximity card readers to control exterior doors and select interior

doors. A total of 16 controlled doors are anticipated. An IP based closed circuit

television system will be interfaced with the access control system to record activity at

select controlled doors. Additional cameras will monitor public areas and public

transaction counters. A total of 16 cameras are anticipated.


52/83

page 44 of 55


Fire Alarm withVoice Notification

Fire Alarm / Mass Notification System

A new addressable fire alarm system with voice annunciation

will be installed. Smoke detection will be limited to select

areas. The sprinkler system will be monitored and duct smoke

detectors will be installed where required. The mass

notification system will be capable of distributing an audible

message throughout the facility.

HVAC System

The new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system will consist of variable air

volume built up air handling units. The units will contain full energy recovery wheels that will

transfer thermal energy from the exhaust air stream to the outside air stream. The full energy

recovery wheels will decrease the energy costs associated with bringing outside air into the

building and will help the building obtain LEED silver certification. In addition, the units will have

full economizer capability in order to use cool, dry outside air for cooling when outside air

temperatures are suitable. This feature also helps to reduce the energy usage of the building

and contributes toward LEED silver certification. The fans on the air handling units will have

variable frequency drives that will vary the fan speed in response to building heating and cooling

demands. Variable air volume boxes with and without hot water re-heat coils will be located

throughout the building to provide individual temperature control for spaces.

The units will be equipped with outside air dampers to provide the amount of outside air

required by ASHRAE standard 62.1 in order to maintain acceptable indoor air quality for the

building. The units will use an energy saving feature called demand controlled ventilation to


53/83

page 45 of 55


Centrifugal Chiller

determine the required amount of outside air during different levels of occupancy. The outside

damper will modulate to allow more or less outside air depending on the concentration of carbon

dioxide in the return air stream. This feature reduces energy consumption by delivering only the

needed outside air to the building.

Cooling for the building will be provided by two water-cooled

frictionless bearing centrifugal chillers, with each chiller

sized for 65 percent of the load. The chillers will provide

chilled water to each of the air handling units. The

condenser water will be cooled by a fiberglass cooling tower

located on the roof of the building. The frictionless chillers

exceed current energy code requirements for full-load and

part-load energy efficiency and will reduce the electrical usage of the building. The chillers also

use the environmentally friendly refrigerant R-134a which does not deplete the ozone and is not

currently subject to a phase-out schedule.

The building will be heated with gas-fired condensing hot water boilers. The boilers will provide

hot water to pre-heat coils located in the air handling units and re-heat coils located in variable

air volume boxes to allow for individual temperature control. Condensing boilers have

combustion efficiencies near 98 percent and will reduce the cost to heat the building.

Condensing boilers far exceed the energy code required efficiency for boilers and will contribute

to the building earning LEED silver certification.


54/83

page 46 of 55


The computer/communication rooms will be cooled by a high efficiency dedicated computer

room air conditioning unit designed to operate year round. Each room will also have a variable

air volume box to provide backup cooling in the event that the computer room air conditioner

fails.

A ground source geothermal heat pump system was also evaluated for the Linn County West

Building. The current parking lot is in disrepair and will need to be replaced creating the

opportunity to install the borefield underneath the parking lot. A ground source geothermal

system has the potential to provide energy savings in addition to those provided by the system

described above. For purposes of this study, the built up air handling unit system with water

cooled chillers was used in order to maintain consistency with the proposed design for the

Administrative Office Building. The Weidt Group has been hired by MidAmerican Energy and

Alliant Energy to review the feasibility of installing a ground source geothermal system at the

Administrative Office Building and to investigate what potential rebates would be available from

the utilities.

Controls

The HVAC controls system will be a complete direct digital control system. The system will

control all of the HVAC equipment and to provide a central point of control for the building. The

control system will also reduce energy consumption by allowing for scheduling of occupied and

occupied periods. During unoccupied periods, temperatures will be reset to warmer

temperatures in the summer and cooling temperatures in the winter.


55/83

page 47 of 55


Dual Flush Flushometer

Plumbing System

The new plumbing system will incorporate dual-flush toilets, low-flow

urinals, low-flow faucets, and low-flow showerheads to reduce the

building water consumption. The plumbing system will be designed to

meet the requirements of the Uniform Plumbing Code (2003). The

building will also feature a rainwater collection system that will collect

rainwater from the roof of the building and store for landscape irrigation.

The reduction of water usage by these strategies will help achieve the

LEED silver rating for the building.

Hot water for lavatories will be provided by instantaneous tankless water heaters located

underneath the lavatories. Tankless water heaters reduce the energy usage for hot water and

will help the facility to achieve the LEED silver certification. The restroom containing the shower

facilities will require an electric tank-type hot water heat to provide sufficient hot water to the

showers. Using this combination of point-of-use hot water heaters eliminates the cost of

installing hot water piping throughout the facility and eliminates the energy consumption of a hot

water circulation system.

Fire Protection

A new sprinkler system will be installed to meet the light-hazard occupancy classification of the

office areas and will be appropriately design to protect storage areas. The new system will be

designed in accordance with the International Fire Code 2006


56/83

page 48 of 55


Sequence of the Work

Because the building will be occupied and open to the public throughout the renovation, the

demolition and subsequent construction will need to occur in a piecemeal fashion. It is assumed

that all of the departments scheduled to be relocated to alternate facilities have completed that

move before demolition begins, which leaves the upper level vacant except for Purchasing and

the Mail Room. The area on the lower floor currently occupied by the Courts, the Clerk of Court

and Juvenile Probation will also be vacated. Having these large areas vacated prior to

construction will facilitate the process by allowing the renovation to be completed in one area

before a department is relocated to its new permanent office space, opening the next area for

construction.

There are costs associated with staging a renovation project in this fashion. Construction

moves slower, so the fixed monthly costs to the contractor, collectively known as general

conditions costs, are greater. Although precautions are taken, there is greater risk that an

employee of the county or a member of the public could be injured as the result of construction

activity, so insurance premiums are a little higher. There is no easy way to demolish the heating,

ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system and install a new one without affecting the

offices served. This study anticipates the contractor renting and installing, and eventually

removing, a temporary HVAC system to condition occupied spaces during the transition from

the buildings old to new mechanical system.


57/83

Opinion of Cost


58/83

page 49 of 55


Opinion of Renovation Cost

Howard R. Green Company has prepared a preliminary opinion of construction cost for the

renovation of Linn County West into permanent County offices. Assumptions underlying our

opinion of the cost of the work are discussed in the sections of this study titled Renovation

Scope and Sequence of Work. Table 3 provides a detail summary of the opinion of

construction cost.


59/83

page 50 of 55


Table 3: Preliminary Opinion of Construction Cost


60/83

Annual Energy Costs


61/83

page 51 of 55


Anticipated Annual Energy Costs

The energy costs for operating a building are estimated using the actual rates charged by

utilities applied to a building model that simulates the consumption of electricity and gas to heat,

cool, ventilate, light and operate incidental equipment in the building. For budgeting and

comparison purposes these costs are typically aggregated as annual costs.

HR Green utilized the Carrier E20-II load calculation and simulation program to estimate energy

usage and costs for the Linn County West building over a period of one year. The building

model incorporated the proposed new mechanical and electrical systems discussed in this

report and also included all proposed architectural changes. The following assumptions were

also used in the analysis.

Only office equipment plug loads were included in the analysis. Office equipment plug

loads included computers, monitors, printer & copiers. Computers and monitors were

assumed to be in sleep/stand-by mode during hours when the building in unoccupied.

Space usage and occupancy levels are similar to the current layout at Linn County West.

Offices were assumed to be occupied from approximately 8am to 5pm, Monday through

Friday and conference rooms were assumed to be occupied sporadically throughout the

day.

Lighting levels were set at 0.75 watts per square foot.

Entrance snow melting energy usage was not included in the analysis.

Exterior lighting and elevator electrical usage were not included in the analysis.

Building temperatures set points of 74/80 were used for occupied/unoccupied periods

during the summer and 70/64 during the winter.


62/83

page 52 of 55


Electric rates used were for Large General Service from Interstate Power and Light

Company as listed in the Electric Tariff dated March 17, 2009.

Gas rate - $1.00 per therm.

Historical weather data for Cedar Rapids was input to simulate average weather

conditions for the entire year.

Using these assumptions, the annual energy cost for the renovated Linn County West building

is estimated to be approximately $77,500 per year. The complete energy usage and costs

report is found in Appendix B.


63/83

Life Cycle Analysis


64/83

page 53 of 55


Life Cycle Analysis

A life cycle cost is a number representing the cost of owning and operating a building over a set

period of time for the purpose of comparing different buildings or different building strategies.

Calculation of the life cycle cost considers the initial investment in construction costs, the cost of

energy to operate the building, the cost of maintenance and effect of inflation on those costs

over the life period. These costs are distilled into a single index called the total present worth.

By itself, the calculated total present worth is not a very meaningful number; it becomes

meaningful when compared to the total present worth of an alternate that has been analyzed

using similar assumptions.

HR Green utilized the Carrier Engineering Economic Analysis program to determine the life

cycle cost of the Linn County West Building. The estimated annual energy costs were imported

from the annual energy use analysis. Increases in energy, labor and material costs over time

are estimated by using escalation rates to inflate future costs. In order to perform the analysis

the following assumptions were used.

Length of Analysis 25 years

Discount Rate 4 %

Energy Costs Escalation Rate 2.6 %

Maintenance Cost Escalation Rate 1.8 %

Equipment Cost Escalation Rate 1.8 %

HVAC system maintenance costs were calculated in accordance with the 1999 ASHRAE

Applications Handbook Chapter 35 and the ASHRAE Owning and Operating Cost

Database based on ASHRAE Research Project 1237-TRP.

Equipment Useful Life Obtained from ASHRAE useful life data


65/83

page 54 of 55


Annual common area maintenance (CAM) Fee of $50,000 per year

The life cycle cost analysis estimated the total present worth of the Linn County West building to

be $19,409,030. The total present worth is the combination of the estimated initial construction

cost of $15,289,000 and the estimated annual operating cost of $207,360. Operating expenses

for each year of the analysis are discounted into todays dollars using the discount rate in order

to calculate the total present worth. The life cycle cost report is found in Appendix C.


66/83


67/83

page 55 of 55


Summary

Extensive work is required to adapt the former Montgomery Wards department store into

permanent County offices. Only the buildings frame, floor slabs, roof decking and side-wall

back-up framing are salvageable for re-use.

The Linn County West renovation project can achieve a LEED Silver certification in support of

the Countys green building initiative.

The renovation can be sequenced so that County offices currently housed at Linn County West

and intended to remain there can remain open to the public throughout the construction period,

provided that the offices intended for relocation to other sites have completed their transitions.

Howard R. Green Company has developed a preliminary opinion of construction costs for the

renovation totaling $15,289,000.

Annual energy costs are expected to be about $77,500 for the renovated building.

The current annual Common Area Maintenance (CAM) fees are about $50,000. If Linn County

elects to pursue renovation of Linn County West, then the CAM fees should be renegotiated to

better reflect the how the County is or is not benefitted by the amenities supported by the fees.

A life cycle cost analysis results in Linn County West having a calculated total present worth of

about $19,409,000.


68/83

Appendix A


69/83


70/83


71/83

Appendix B


72/83


73/83

Annual Component Costs - Linn County WestLinn County - Feasibility Study Model 09/21/2009Howard R. Green Company 11:28AM

10.1%Air System Fans

9.4%Cooling

9.6%Heating

5.2%Pumps

5.6%Cooling Tower Fans36.4% Lights

22.6% Electric Equipment

1.1% Misc. Electric

1. Annual Costs

Component

Annual Cost

($) ($/ft)

Percent of Total

(%)Air System Fans 7,784 0.069 10.1

Cooling 7,248 0.064 9.4

Heating 7,445 0.066 9.6

Pumps 4,011 0.036 5.2

Cooling Tower Fans 4,341 0.039 5.6

HVAC Sub-Total 30,829 0.274 39.8

Lights 28,161 0.250 36.4

Electric Equipment 17,495 0.155 22.6

Misc. Electric 879 0.008 1.1

Misc. Fuel Use 0 0.000 0.0

Non-HVAC Sub-Total 46,535 0.413 60.2

Grand Total 77,364 0.687 100.0

Note: Cost per unit floor area is based on the gross building floor area.

Gross Floor Area 112683.0 ftConditioned Floor Area 112683.0 ft

Hourly Analysis Program v.4.4 Page 1 of 1


74/83

Annual Energy Costs - Linn County WestLinn County - Feasibility Study Model 09/21/2009Howard R. Green Company 11:28AM

30.2%HVAC Electric

9.6%HVAC Natural Gas

60.1% Non-HVAC Electric

1. Annual Costs

ComponentAnnual Cost

($/yr) ($/ft)Percent of Total

(%)

HVAC Components

Electric 23,384 0.208 30.2

Natural Gas 7,444 0.066 9.6

Fuel Oil 0 0.000 0.0

Propane 0 0.000 0.0

Remote Hot Water 0 0.000 0.0

Remote Steam 0 0.000 0.0

Remote Chilled Water 0 0.000 0.0

HVAC Sub-Total 30,829 0.274 39.9

Non-HVAC Components

Electric 46,532 0.413 60.1

Natural Gas 0 0.000 0.0

Fuel Oil 0 0.000 0.0

Propane 0 0.000 0.0

Remote Hot Water 0 0.000 0.0

Remote Steam 0 0.000 0.0

Non-HVAC Sub-Total 46,532 0.413 60.1

Grand Total 77,361 0.687 100.0

Note: Cost per unit floor area is based on the gross building floor area.

Gross Floor Area 112683.0 ftConditioned Floor Area 112683.0 ft



75/83

Monthly Component Costs - Linn County WestLinn County - Feasibility Study Model 09/21/2009Howard R. Green Company 11:28AM

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Cost($)

MonthJan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Air System Fans Cooling Heating Pumps

Cooling Tower Fans Lights Electric Equipment Misc. Electric

1. HVAC Component Costs

Month Air System Fans($) Cooling($) Heating($) Pumps($) Cooling Towers($) HVAC Total($)

January 417 49 2,343 17 0 2,826

February 372 48 1,425 15 0 1,860

March 394 246 880 300 48 1,868

April 404 274 185 286 109 1,258

May 609 594 7 404 425 2,039

June 1,232 1,479 0 706 986 4,403

July 1,403 1,859 0 817 1,179 5,258

August 1,241 1,598 0 704 970 4,513

September 571 639 7 406 424 2,047

October 410 361 243 325 200 1,539

November 339 51 649 14 0 1,053

December 392 50 1,706 16 0 2,164

Total 7,784 7,248 7,445 4,011 4,341 30,829

2. Non-HVAC Component Costs

MonthLights

($)

ElectricEquipment

($)Misc. Electric

($)Misc. Fuel Use

($)Non-HVAC Total

($)Grand Total

($)

January 2,263 1,438 69 0 3,770 6,596

February 2,277 1,406 72 0 3,754 5,614

March 2,213 1,352 70 0 3,634 5,502

April 2,148 1,317 68 0 3,533 4,791

May 2,092 1,311 65 0 3,468 5,507

June 2,806 1,719 89 0 4,614 9,017

July 2,610 1,636 81 0 4,327 9,585

August 2,796 1,729 88 0 4,613 9,126

September 2,121 1,317 66 0 3,504 5,551

October 2,184 1,369 68 0 3,621 5,160

November 2,295 1,445 71 0 3,810 4,863

December 2,357 1,458 74 0 3,888 6,052

Total 28,161 17,495 879 0 46,535 77,364



76/83

Monthly Energy Costs - Linn County WestLinn County - Feasibility Study Model 09/21/2009Howard R. Green Company 11:28AM

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

5500

Cost($)

MonthJan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

HVAC Electric HVAC Natural Gas Non-HVAC Electric

1. HVAC Costs

MonthElectric

($)Natural Gas

($)Fuel Oil

($)Propane

($)

Remote HotWater($)

Remote Steam($)

Remote ChilledWater($)

January 484 2,343 0 0 0 0 0

February 435 1,425 0 0 0 0 0

March 989 880 0 0 0 0 0

April 1,072 185 0 0 0 0 0

May 2,032 7 0 0 0 0 0

June 4,403 0 0 0 0 0 0

July 5,258 0 0 0 0 0 0

August 4,513 0 0 0 0 0 0

September 2,040 7 0 0 0 0 0

October 1,297 243 0 0 0 0 0November 404 649 0 0 0 0 0

December 458 1,706 0 0 0 0 0

Total 23,384 7,444 0 0 0 0 0

2. Non-HVAC Costs

MonthElectric

($)Natural Gas

($)Fuel Oil

($)Propane

($)

Remote HotWater

($)Remote Steam

($)

January 3,770 0 0 0 0 0

February 3,754 0 0 0 0 0

March 3,634 0 0 0 0 0

April 3,532 0 0 0 0 0

May 3,467 0 0 0 0 0June 4,613 0 0 0 0 0

July 4,326 0 0 0 0 0

August 4,613 0 0 0 0 0

September 3,504 0 0 0 0 0

October 3,621 0 0 0 0 0

November 3,810 0 0 0 0 0

December 3,888 0 0 0 0 0

Total 46,532 0 0 0 0 0



77/83

Appendix C


78/83

Lifecycle SummaryProject: Linn County - Feasibility Study Model 9/22/2009Prepared By: Howard R. Green Company 9:56:32 AM

Linn County West Life Cycle Cost Analysis

The purpose of this life cycle cost analysis is to determine the total present worth of the Linn County West Building. Theanalysis includes the estimated initial construction cost, annual maintenance cost and annual energy costs.

Type of Analysis Public Sector Lifecycle AnalysisType of Design Alternatives Mutually ExclusiveLength of Analysis 25 yrs

Discount Rate 4.00 %

Table 1. Executive Summary

Economic Criteria Best Design Case for Each Criteria Value ($)

Incremental SIR Analysis Linn County West -

Lowest Total Present Worth Linn County West $19,409,032

Lowest Annual Operating Cost Linn County West $207,360

Lowest First Cost Linn County West $15,289,000

Table 2. Design Cases Ranked by First CostDesign Case Name Design Case

Short NameTotal Present

Worth ($)Annual Operating

Cost ($/yr)First Cost ($)

Linn County West LCW $19,409,032 $207,360 $15,289,000

Table 3. Incremental Analysis DataChallenger Base Case Additional

First Cost ($)NPW Savings

($)SIR Payback

Period (yrs)

LCW [Winner] LCW [Winner] $0 $0 0.000 n/a

Engineering Economic Analysis v 3.0 Page 1 of 1


79/83

Cash Flow DetailsProject: Linn County - Feasibility Study Model 9/22/2Prepared By: Howard R. Green Company 9:56:43

Linn County West Life Cycle Cost Analysis

The purpose of this life cycle cost analysis is to determine the total present worth of the Linn County West Building. The analysis includes the estimated initialconstruction cost, annual maintenance cost and annual energy costs.

Type of Analysis Public Sector Lifecycle Analysis

Linn County West Feasibility Report 092209

Documents

Transcript of Linn County West Feasibility Report 092209