Visit this page for routine news updates at Central Park including progress reports on various on-going improvement projects planned or underway. The information herein has been obtained from multiple sources, including management, staff and vendors, and it does not represent any official announcements from them or the CPOA Board. The updates are provided as a courtesy by Bill Leighty – Walter & Associates and visitors are encouraged to verify the accuracy of this information from official sources. Click here to subscribe to the Newsletter.
Window Replacements (updated 10-28-2022):
In 2021, the CPOA Board elected to remove window replacement from the Long Term Reserve program and to offer owners the option of replacing their windows at their own expense. The board worked with Thermal Windows, a local manufacturer to develop specifications and pricing for new windows and offered owners an opportunity to enter a drawing to save 50% of the costs for new windows for a single unit, to serve as a model for inspection by those who might consider replacing their windows.
A two-bedroom unit in the 450 Building won the competition and new windows were installed and CP owner’s were given several opportunities to visit the unit and see the windows and how they were installed. The process did not go off without a hitch as the installers twice showed up for the install with windows that were the wrong size. The third time was not exactly a charm either, as many commented that the finishing details were lacking. It was an inauspicious beginning to the project to say the least.
Since then, a new installation company has partnered with Thermal Windows and they completed their first install in late August to the apparent complete satisfaction of the owner. While it appears the installation shortcomings of the previous company have not been repeated by the new company, 3Q Glass Shop, I’ve been unable to find any information or reviews about the company on the internet. 3Q will soon proceed with Phase II and approximately 15 more units that have been on the waiting list, with an expected completion date by late November of 2022. The contractors are now working with potential customers interested in being part of the Phase III process.
Full disclosure, my wife Bonnie, are planning to take advantage of the quantity discounts currently available for Phase III. With all of the inflationary pressures affecting our economy, it will not be surprising if material costs drive up the costs of the windows sooner rather than later. If you are seriously considering replacing your windows, keep that in mind.
Window Replacements (updated 11-28-2022): Completion of Phase II has been slightly delayed as the sizes of the one-bedroom windows has been changed slightly to more closely resemble the configuration of the existing windows. It has all been worked out and the next six units should be completed in a few weeks. Phase III orders are being processed and the new windows will be manufactured so that installation can begin in March.
For more information Contact: 3Q Glass Shop: Tom Gorman, Customer Support Specialist, 620 687-3380, tom@3qgsinc.com
HVAC REPLACEMENT & REPAIRS (updated 10-28-2022): 
In May of 2022, the CPOA board held an open meeting at Central Park to introduce representatives of Entegrity Partners who presented the outline of a plan to upgrade Central Parks’ HVAC system, and followed up afterwards with a Q&A session. The plan proposed replacing the existing 50-year old 4-pipe HVAC system with new heat pumps that will replace and be located in the same closets as the existing fan-coil units. The plan also anticipates the repair/replacement of associated controls and air-handling equipment serving the common areas and the domestic hot-water equipment serving individual units.
The anticipated cost was projected to be in excess of $10,000,000. At the meeting, it was suggested that half of the funding from the improvements was expected to come from CP’s Long Term Reserve program and the balance from utility savings realized by the improved system and equipment. Under that scenario, there would be no special assessments or the need for a dues increase.
Since the meeting however, it appears costs have escalated a bit, and in order to minimize any assessments or dues increase, a longer financing term beyond the originally anticipated 10 years is being sought to cover the difference. These developments have added to the challenges of finding lenders willing to lock-in favorable rates and terms in an unstable market.
The audited financial reporting requirements of lenders and underwriters has contributed to the delays in calling for a vote of owners to approve the HVAC improvements. Management and staff have worked hard to provide that information to prospective lenders and it looks like the necessary approvals may be near. Representatives from the preferred lender will apparently visit our campus and community on November 17th as one of the final steps in the approval process. It looks like some scheduled common area improvements will be moved up to insure that Central Park puts its best foot forward in order to win their support for the terms being sought.
Committing to the plan will require an affirmative vote by owners and CPOA Board President, Matt Warren suggested at the May meeting that he would like to see ballots mailed the next day, creating great excitement among those attending the meeting. That was five months ago and to my knowledge there has not been a single official update on the matter since then. I think most owners would have preferred periodic updates and that is why I elected to find out as much as I can and to share what I found out with you. That said, I do support the board’s due diligence in seeking to ensure that this option represents the best possible solution before asking owners to make a commitment.
Make no mistake, there are profound complexities involved in finalizing the scope of this long overdue project, including supply-chain interruptions and inflationary cost increases that make it difficult if not impossible to determine final project costs. Engineers also determined in their investigations that the original electrical transformers located on the 11th floor of each tower are inadequate to support the new system and must be replaced and possibly moved from their current location. Planning for that has also added to the delay in finalizing plans.
There are other details to work out before next years expiration of CP’s agreement with Vicinity, present supplier of the steam and chilled water used by the existing 4-Pipe system. If the new system cannot being fully installed before the the discontinuation of service with Vicinity, temporary boilers and chillers may have to be relied upon until the project is complete, and those costs and installation schedules must be arranged well in advance.
Don’t forget the nightmare flood earlier this year when a steam pipe failed, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to many apartments and common areas in the 410 Building. These pipes will be replaced by the new system but we remain at risk until then, so time is of the essence in order to avoid future catastrophic disruptions and damage.
HVAC REPLACEMENT & REPAIRS (updated 11-29-2022): It appears that the lender visit went well, very well and the process is moving along. The prospective lender is now preparing a preliminary term sheet outlining the basic details of a proposed agreement so that the CPOA Board can share that information with owners and create ballot language in advance of a vote on the matter. I’m hopeful the board will provide details and dates at the Meet the Candidates meeting on December 6th.
HVAC REPLACEMENT & REPAIRS (updated 12-29-2022): While there has been no official announcement as the voting is still open, it appears from what I’ve heard that the early vote has already exceeded the necessary 50% plus one, so I expect that the project will be moving forward.
Elevator Cab Interiors and Equipment Replacements (updated 10-28-2022)
Due to steadily declining reliability and spiraling maintenance costs , the CPOA voted earlier in 2022 to replace the elevator infrastructure in the 450 Building with equipment similar to that installed by Quest Elevator in the 410 Building several years ago. At the same time, they voted to renovate the aging elevator cab interiors in both towers.
Quest Elevator has sub-contracted interiors work to Mid-South Partitions and the fabrication of those interiors was reportedly to begin and be completed by now in the 410 Building. Unfortunately, the untimely death of one of the principals of the company that Quest was using for the fabrication has required that a new fabricator be secured for the work.
In the meantime, the motors and controls of the 450 Buildings’ middle elevator have been installed ahead of schedule and that elevator is back in service. Work has begun on the motors and controls for a second elevator in the 450 Building, and the entire project should be complete by March 2023.
Elevator Cab Interiors and Equipment Replacements (updated 11-29-2022) The renovation of the second elevator in the 450 Building will likely be completed in the next few weeks and then work can begin on the third elevator which will completed in February or March. At the same time, the new cab interiors for the 410 Building elevators being fabricated and there is the possibility that the 410 Building will get a present by Christmas if not before.
Elevator Cab Interiors and Equipment Replacements (updated 12-30-2022) The new elevator cab interiors have been install in the 410 building, leaving only the service elevator to be completed. Work continues and is on schedule for the improvements on the 450 elevators.
