Orillia Council has approved a long-term plan for the refrigeration system at Rotary Place.
At its meeting on Dec. 7, 2022, Council authorized staff to execute an agreement for the design and contract administration for a new, indoor, self-contained compressor system and outdoor dry condenser (dry chiller) to replace the current Rotary Place refrigeration system. Funding required to complete the design, procurement and construction was approved in the amount of $1,920,000 and was allocated from the General Asset Management Reserve Fund.
The long-term solution will renew the assets associated with Rotary Place’s refrigeration system with an anticipated lifecycle of approximately 20 to 25 years.
“The City of Orillia is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our community. We are pleased to find a long-term solution that will allow the City to operate Rotary Place for years to come for the public and our user groups said Mayor Don McIsaac. “The City has allocated funding from the Asset Management Reserve and costs will not impact the 2022 or 2023 tax levy.”
The current system at Rotary Place uses a water-based cooling tower and relies on the process of evaporation in an outdoor container as part of the cooling process.
The City explored three options that all focused on dry, air-cooled systems. Options included a new self-contained compressor system and outdoor dry condenser; new outdoor chiller units; and reworking the existing compressor system and adding an outdoor chiller system.
It is anticipated the process to complete the design, tender and installation of the new system will take approximately 15 to 18 months. As an interim measure, the City is renting and installing a temporary refrigeration system at Rotary Place for up to 18 months to ensure no further impact to ice users.
As the City moves through the design and tender process, updates will be provided regarding the timelines to install the new system.
