KEEPING COOL After learning the Civic Auditorium doesn’t have enough juice to power the new air conditioning system being installed, the City Council is expected to approve an additional $172,000 for an electrical panel with 1,200 amps.
On Jan. 11, 2005, the City Council awarded the design and construction contract for the air conditioning to H.E.C. Engineers and Contractors, Inc. in the amount of $871,000.
During the initial phase of construction, workers opened an electrical panel thought to have 1,000 amps. They discovered only 600 amps of service. The air condition system requires at least 1,000 amps, prompting the need to replace the panel.
With the modification, the total cost of the project will be $1,043,000. It should be completed within five weeks during the months of June and July, according to a staff report. During that time, the auditorium will not take reservations for events.
H.E.C. has already completed the East Wing Replacement Project at the auditorium. That project included electrical and lighting replacement.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 14, 2006. Read the original PDF.