Greenwood, SC – Visitors to the Greenwood Municipal Building on Monument Street will have to pardon the mess — and the heat — just a little while longer.

The City of Greenwood is in the midst of a major renovation project at the Municipal Building — also referred to as City Hall — in which the building’s HVAC unit is being replaced and lighting is being upgraded. Construction on the project began March 14 and is expected to wrap up in June.

The Municipal Building project is being paid for, in part, with grant funds. In early 2010 the city entered into an agreement with the S.C. Energy Office to accept an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant in the amount of $147,011.

The purpose of the energy efficiency and conservation grant program is to reduce fossil fuel emissions in a manner that is environmentally sustainable, to reduce total energy use for the grant applicant and to improve energy efficiency in the building and transportation sectors.

For the City of Greenwood, that meant making major HVAC and lighting efficiency improvements in the 54-year-old Municipal Building. The current project includes the replacement of the original HVAC air-handling system and HVAC controls, as well as the replacement of the existing fluorescent lighting fixtures in the building.

Jamie Addison, left, and Landon Wolf put in work Monday morning at the Municipal Building. Workers are installing a new HVAC unit and lighting at City Hall as part of an extensive project. (Chris Trainor| Index-Journal)

Earlier this year, the City Council accepted bids on the project and awarded the job to Greenwood’s Benjamin’s Heating and Cooling. Benjamin’s bid on the job was $516,000. The city expects to spend a total of $550,000 on the project, which also includes demolition work.

Part of the project will be funded through the aforementioned $147,011 grant. The remaining $402,989 will come from the city’s capital improvement fund.

City manager Charlie Barrineau said the city anticipates $15,000-$20,000 in annual energy savings.

The city manager said the project is beneficial on two fronts.

“Whether you are in favor of the federal stimulus programs or not, the City of Greenwood has successfully utilized the funding to become more energy efficient and put dollars back into Greenwood’s local economy,” Barrineau said.

Greenwood Mayor Welborn Adams said he thinks the project is long overdue. He noted the long-term cost savings will be beneficial to the city.

“I’m excited about it,” Adams said. "Over the long term, the project will pay for itself through the savings in the energy costs. We were able to use all Greenwood contractors, so the money stayed in Greenwood. Plus we are paying for a significant portion of it with a stimulus grant.”

(taken from City of Greenwood website)