Dutchess County Hwy Facility

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Location

Poughkeepsie, NY

Construction Management

The Palombo Group

Project Description

The Palombo Group was responsible for overseeing the demolition and reconstruction of the Dutchess County Highway Facility on Route 44 in Poughkeepsie. The budget for this project was $8,000,000. Portions of the existing building were renovated and 17,000 square feet of new space was created. The renovated structure required hazardous material abatement, demolition of portions of the building, renovations within the main garage and upgrades to the mechanical and electrical systems. New construction consisted of a new parking area underneath the main structure, offices for engineering and administration, replacement curbs and sidewalks, re-pavement of the existing parking and the addition of new lighting. The building is of steel and masonry construction and was given a white roof to limit the absorption of heat from the sun as well as plenty of windows to provide natural day lighting. Site work was also done to create new parking and circulation. In addition, twenty-four geothermal wells were drilled.

Geothermal wells are a wonderful green option for supplying heated and cooled air. Typically, these systems cost less than electricity generated systems do. They also reduce the output of pollution from energy that is created by burning resources (such as trash, natural gas, oil, etc.) and eliminate the creation of toxic waste from nuclear power sources. With this type of system, water is pumped through pipelines into the Earth and then back up into the building’s system to be distributed throughout the building or to generate cooled/heated air. The water is either cooled in the summer by the lower temperature of the Earth’s lower layers, or heated in the winter by the Earth’s abundant and natural heat. This type of system ensures the comfort of the staff without a high cost to the planet or the community, making it a wonderful green alternative to other systems.

The project was completed on time in July of 2010.