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COLORADO SPRINGS -

Plans to build a new Summit House on top of Pikes Peak are moving forward but it's going to cost millions more than expected.

Only two years ago, News 5 reported the estimated price tag on this project to be anywhere between $20 to $35 million.

But after they've redefined the scope of the project in 2017, that price tag now stands closer to $50 million.

"Literally, we're on top of the mountain," Jack Glavan, Manager of Pikes Peak America's Mountain said.

14,000 feet above sea level overlooking the city of Colorado Springs sits what will eventually become a state of the art Summit House.

"When we first started, that was five to six years ago, we didn't have a good scope of work that we've really redefined," Glavan said.

Glavan says the price tag has jumped nearly $30 million more than expected.

"It increased for several reasons," he said, "One, the time factor, so construction costs have increased. Second, we've redefined the scope so we really have a good idea of what we want in the building, what's not going to be on the building and the other factor has been the restoration of the rest of the Summit House."

To put it simply, building anything on top of a mountain will be an uphill battle.

Anticipating elevation problems for workers, a shorter five month construction window from June to October and digging into a much tougher foundation.

"We'll have to be going through boulders, through the Pikes Peak granite, as well as a permafrost layer so we have to ensure through stability through that foundation that we actually go down to bedrock," he said.

But published reports say the Anschutz Foundation, which owns the Broadmoor, is stepping in to help by making a substantial commitment to spearhead the project's fundraising campaign.

"I think the Anschutz Foundation or Mr. Anschutz is actually invested in our community and he wants our community to succeed and I think he's trying to do that," he said.

Once the money is raised and the building goes up, one of the most visited attractions in the region is expected to get busier.

"Certainly when you have something like the Summit House and a banner project, it's something that we're excited about and we're ready to tell the world and invite groups and special events and leisure travelers to experience that for themselves," Chelsy Offutt, Director of Communications for the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau said.

The bureau, anxious to start promoting the new additions.

"Just to see the momentum, is fantastic and we're at the ready to promote all of the additions that are happening up on Pikes Peak," Offutt said.

There has been an ongoing environmental assessment happening for the past year to determine where exactly it's safe to build on the mountain which is still in the works right now.

Once that is complete, then they can finish design plans.

At this point, the project is moving into its fundraising phase. The public fundraising campaign is set to kick off by the end of the summer.

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Uphill battle for Pikes Peak Summit House plans - KOAA.com | Continuous News | Colorado Springs and Pueblo - KOAA.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News

The Broncos defense aught to be able to stop the run more effectively in 2017.

After finishing 28th against the run in 2016, theDenver Broncosmade it a priority to get bigger and meaner on the defensive line. Their first and most obvious solution was to add veteran free agentsDomata PekoandZach Kerrin March.

Peko checks in at 325 pounds, while Kerr tips the scales at 334. That's a big upgrade in beef over the 313-poundSylvester Williams, who held down the nose tackle position in Denver for the last two years, before signing in Tennessee this offseason.

GMJohn Elwaydidn't stop there. The Broncos signed the highly sought-after college free agentTyrique Jarrettout of the University of Pittsburgh following the Draft.

http://www.scout.com/nfl/broncos/story/1783405-can-we-expect-a-te-renais... Jarrett is listed by the team at 335 pounds, but his own teammates have reckonedthat he's closer to 350 pounds. Between those three additions alone, the Broncos added a half ton to their D-line in 2017.

In theory, the bigger-bodied linemen will allow the inside linebackers likeBrandon MarshallandTodd Davis more freedom to swarm to the ball-carrier, without having to shuck and duck offensive guards. These are much-needed improvements to the nose tackle corps, but the Broncos haven't stopped there.

The defensive ends, led byDerek Wolfe, have also worked to add some weight over the offseason. Wolfe has added 20 pounds to his frame, while the second-yearAdam Gotsishas also put on some weight to get closer to 300 pounds. Gotsis accepted the challenge his position coach,Bill Kollar, levied at him when the 2016 season ended.

"Physically, I've told him all along: You've got to get bigger and stronger -- or else," Kollar said. "These guys are too big and strong and tough in this league.

"I told him, 'If I were you, I'd take one week off after the season, I'd get my [rear end] into the weight room and I'd lift until there was no tomorrow. Because otherwise you don't have a chance. You've got to be able to get in there and fight."

Gotsis looks like a new man. He's bigger and stronger, and now that he's had the extra time to recover from the ACL injury he suffered in October of 2015, he's quicker, too. I'm really intrigued to see how Gotsis can make an impact in year two.

Right now, Gotsis isn't the defensive end running with the first-team opposite of Derek Wolfe. That would beJared Crick, who's also gained a considerable amount of weight.

I probably gained about 15 pounds over the offseason," Crick said on Wednesday. "Its not an advantage for yourself to be under 275 which I was at times last year going against offensive lines in the AFC West. So this offseason, I tried to gain 15 pounds. Hopefully I can gain another five before training camp. Obviously all good weight to where I can still move. I feel a lot stronger going into this summer than any of the summers Ive been in the NFL.

Why join?

Crick was asked to step in and start in 2016, after Vance Walkerwas lost for the season. Crickstruggled to hold up at the point of attack in the run game, but did help push the pocket from the inside on passing downs. This time around, Crick and the Broncos D-line are committed to reversing the slide they had in defending the run last year.

You cant point your fingers at one position or one guy or anything like that," Crick said. "We wanted to get bigger up front. We were undersized last year and we knew it. We just keep or tenacity up. Obviously, were doing some different things defensively this year to help out with that. Being bigger and stronger this year will help out with that."

You heard it fromHead CoachVance Joseph, in a mic'd up conversation with defensive coordinator Joe Woods,when the Broncos hit the field for their first practice session of 2017 back in April.

"I'll tell you what," Joseph said. "You've gotten bigger up front, between Kerr and Peko. It looks different. It looks different. You've gotten bigger."

Now we see that Denver's commitmentto beef up the D-line goes way beyond signing Peko and Kerr. I'm looking forward to seeing whether it pays dividends come the fall. There's no guarantee that it will, but were I a bettin' man, I wouldn't wager against it.

Chad Jensen is the Publisher of Mile High Huddle. You can find him on Twitter@ChadNJensen.

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The Denver Broncos Beefed Up Their Defensive Line In More Ways Than One - Scout

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Age Of Youth 2 Reveals Newest Additions To Main Cast, Park Hye Soo Drops Out soompi Park Hye Soo was supposed to return for the second season, but she had to withdraw from the drama due to scheduling conflicts. Her character Eun Jae will be played by Ji Woo instead. The story of Age of Youth 2 will take place a year from where the ...

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Age Of Youth 2 Reveals Newest Additions To Main Cast, Park Hye Soo Drops Out - soompi

The brick walls of La Salle-Peru Township High School are covered in mortar dust.

Last week was ceremonial hammer time when the school broke glass on a fake school window to kick off the project. Now, reality hammer time is underway as students have left for the summer and the schools $38 million renovation project accelerates into high gear.

Bricks in the wall

A drive-by glance might tell you the brick looks good for another 100 years. Standing and watching workers tuck-pointing the mortar, with a construction superintendent pointing out details, changes everything.

A lot of this looks good but for maintenance and the life of the building, there is water intrusion in there, said Jerry Kunzer, site superintendent with Pepper Construction, Barrington. This water intrusion has become visible inside, said Matt Baker, school spokesman.

The tucking and pointing

The mortar and brick work is the most visible, and audible, labor going on now. Workers are using grinding wheels to remove old mortar, which will be replaced with new mortar, a process called tuck-pointing, sometimes known as re-pointing. Some bricks also will need replacing. This work started before school let out in late May and will continue into August. The contract for tuck-pointing and masonry restoration went to Evans-Mason Inc., Springfield, for $908,883.

What theyre basically doing is grinding out all the joints, the horizontal and the head joints, Kunzer said.

Its called tuck-pointing, where new mortar is tucked and pointed into a groove made by a grinding wheel, Kunzer said. The circular grinding wheels run easiest along horizontal joints, but its trickier between short, vertical ends of bricks. Here, the wheel leaves half-moon grooves in the vertical seams. If the worker grinds too far up or down, the wheel touches the brick, a no-no. So, workers have to finish this joint by using small, chipping tools.

The crew is shooting for a three-quarter inch recessed groove where mortar needs replacement. Kunzer pointed to an area where mortar has been removed, revealing gaps and holes in the original mortar.

You can see as you get in here, theres some holes back in here. You get more of that on a head point than you do on the horizontal. Thats what that tuck-pointing will help take care of. Theyll get this tucked all the way back in there and that helps stop any water infiltration, he said.

This problem stems from basic bricklaying. The wet mortar lays better on the horizontal joint with the help of gravity. The vertical mortar must be pressed to the ends of bricks, as gravity wants to pull it off.

Because when theyre using their trowel and theyre putting it on the head joint, sometimes it falls off, Kunzer said.

Kunzer is toying with calculating the total feet of mortar joints across the entire exterior of the school.

We have an intern coming out in the next week or two. I was going to challenge him, he said.

Counter-weighted swing stages

On a large area of flat wall, three workers stood on a scaffolding platform, specifically a swing stage, held by cables attached to counter-weighted booms on the roof. The cables run through motorized pulleys so the stage can move up and down. The workers start grinding near the roof edge and work their way down. On a nearby roof edge, three more workers looked down on the wall.

I think theyre trying to figure out where to move the swing stage to next, Kunzer said.

The three workers on the stage were grinding mortar into clouds of white dust. They wore breathing masks. Pulsating vacuum hoses attached to the grinding tools sucked up some of the dust.

Every person on that swing stage is required to have a full-body harness, and thats tied off to a separate structural point, Kunzer said over the grating buzz of grinding.

Other walls, like the ends of the south wings, have complicated cornices and pilasters and will not allow a hanging stage. Here, a worker on a hydraulic lift grinds away the more convoluted mortar joints.

Matching colors 1927-1963

It is a challenge to match new mortar and bricks with old materials. Mortar takes on the color of the sand it contains, and brick is colored by the local clay used. The school includes Streator brick from the 1920s.

A test site has been set up on the northeast side of the main building, the exterior of Matthiessen auditorium, which was tuck-pointed in the 1990s, Baker said.

Were not sure what they used originally, Kunzer said. Theyre trying to come up with a color and texture sample. Right now were doing a lot of the grinding until we get all the mockups approved on the mortar samples. As were doing this, there are several areas where the architects are trying to match the old 1927 brick because of the additions. There is a 37 and a 63 where its a different brick. This addition here was 1963. Theres a 1937 in back of it. You can see the difference in the brick colors here.

The brick layout is different between additions. The oldest part alternates full and half-brick pieces, what is called Flemish bond pattern. Newer brickwork has a running bond, showing full brick faces. Its a subtle clue to boundaries between old and new, Kunzer said.

Old radiators and window AC

Last week, workers were repainting the lintels the horizontal steel brick supports across the tops of windows. The lintel painting contract went to D.E.S. Painting, Chicago, for $19,635.

Window replacement will start in late June-early July.

They have been taking out all the window air-conditioning units because those will be gone when they replace the windows, Baker said. The tricky thing is, until they get the new AC system up and running, we will have these big temporary units that will get rolled in.

This week, mobile classrooms began arriving. These large rectangular units, carpeted and with windows, will be brought together to form one mini-school in the east parking lot. A storage garage in the middle of the lot was torn down to make way. This will allow classes on the three floors to be displaced by interior work.

Last week, old radiators were removed from classrooms and piled onto moving carts. A maintenance worker tore out a partition in the yearbook room.

You might remember two large trees on the east side just south of the clock tower. Those were cut down about three months ago because they were overgrown and in the way, Baker said.

The school board is scheduled this week to award more bids for fire protection, electrical and mechanical utilities and asbestos abatement, as well as approve two change orders.

Jeff Dankert can be reached at (815) 220-6977 or lasallereporter@newstrib.com. Follow him on Twitter @NT_LaSalle.

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The dust is flying at LP High as renovations kick into summer gear - LaSalle News Tribune

YWCA receives needed repairs By STEPHANIE UJHELYI sujhelyi@the-review.com Published: June 7, 2017 3:00 AM

When the Ohio History Connection's Building Doctors were in town last fall, something caught their eye.

Although the YWCA of Alliance had been awarded $18,000 in Community Development Block Grant money from the 2016 allotment for window replacement, the west wall of the local landmark appeared problematic and needed to be a priority, explained agency director Gloria Whiteley-Magrath, whose office is one of two potentially affected by the issue revealed during an environmental review.

"A contractor said that the wall was still structurally sound but did note the issues," she said, adding that the funds award also had included replacement of the historic brackets on the building's eaves as well as repairs to the building tower. "The top priority was definitely the wall, as the contractor agreed that the windows would hold."

Throughout this week, employees from Coon Restoration enjoyed good weather while making the masonry changes.

Magrath said that due to the YWCA's local landmark status, the Alliance Historic Preservation Commission also was consulted on the project.

Richard Lott, the city's community development planner, did confirm that officials still haven't received their final 2017 CDBG numbers yet; however, if the allotment stands true to prediction -- equal to last year's -- then the YWCA of Alliance will receive $24,400 to replace those 11 windows.

The Building Doctors also visited the city's other public facility applicant, Alliance Fire Department's Station No. 3 (Mount Union), which apparently impressed, according to Lott. Assistant Fire Chief Danille Kemp's application for facade work to help with energy efficiency and repair the roof also was funded in this year's cycle.

The Ohio History Connection was "thrilled that the station is still in use after all these years and well maintained," he concluded.

Attempts to contact a representative for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development were unsuccessful Tuesday.

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Brick by Brick: YWCA receives needed repairs - The-review

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Andy's Heating & Cooling

GLASGOW Installation work has begun on a new air-conditioning system at the South Central Kentucky Cultural Center, with a target date of July 15 to have it functional on at least the two bottom floors.

The air conditioning on those floors went out right at a year ago, and the center, including the Museum of the Barrens, was closed to the public for several weeks, beginning in early August. The air conditioning for the third floor was still working, so staff members kept their activities mostly up there.

Mayor Dick Doty told the Glasgow Daily Times in mid-August that every time the city would get the system charged with Freon, it was costing $3,000 to $4,000, and it was lasting less time with each fill. Some repairs were also made along the way, but new leaks kept springing up, the mayor said then.

Jason Tyner maneuvers a pipe that had been mechanically lifted into a ceiling area at the South Central Kentucky Cultural Center through a metal eye.

During that same time, he had had preliminary discussions with a performance contractor to evaluate potential energy savings that could be realized with repairs or replacements, and he had hoped the city would be closer than it was then to an agreement with such a company. The idea behind an energy-savings performance contract is the city gets a guarantee that money spent up front on changes and upgrades to things ranging from the types of light bulbs to the heating and cooling systems can be restored through energy and maintenance savings. If the costs are not recouped within the expected time frame, the contract company pays the city any difference.

Because the city was no further along than it was on that process, specifications for a bid invitation were prepared and advertised, with a deadline of Sept. 9 for submission of bids, and two were received.

The bid from Johnson Controls was for $360,697. Lyons Service bid $297,500, but did not include a boiler, while the other did.

Ultimately, though, the mayor sold enough council members on the idea of waiting for a performance contract so the cost of the replacement and/or repairs would be covered by the guarantee, and the work was postponed until requests for proposals could be received for a performance contract. Two proposals were received in December that provided suggested work in each city-owned building, including the cultural center, as well as the vehicle fleet in at least one proposal. Doty established a temporary review committee to make a recommendation, and Perfection Group was the clear choice of that group, Doty said. In January, representatives of the company spoke to several city council members who gathered for a presentation on what they had in mind. The council approved in February a contract with that company, with Doty authorized to determine exactly which projects out of nearly $6 million worth should be pursued, based on anticipated return on the investment.

A budget amendment for the current fiscal year appropriating nearly $1.77 million was made to cover some of the initial work across city facilities, and more is expected to be allocated for the 2017-18 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Billy Carrier, job superintendent with Perfection Group, said the water piping network for the completely brand new heating and cooling systems is being installed now, but some of the heavier equipment for the air conditioning has not arrived.

July 15 is when the cultural center is hosting a reunion for all former employees of the Kentucky Pants Factory, which occupied the same building from 1929 through 1996, but Carrier said that if, for some reason, the system for those two floors is not ready by that date, some form of temporary cooling will be provided for the event.

Sherry Wesley, director of the cultural center, said the Perfection Group has already provided a portable air conditioner for the areas where photos, manuscripts and other documents are stored to help ensure their longevity, and she wanted the community to be assured those items are in cooled areas now.

The air conditioning on the third floor, where bound volumes of older newspapers are stored, has continued to work. It will be replaced, too, but the current system will be left running until the latest possible time to bring the new one online for the top floor.

The old steam-boiler equipment for the heating system has already been disassembled and moved out of the mechanical room at the cultural center, and two new high-efficiency hot-water boilers along with a third unit that will later go to the Plaza Theatre are there awaiting the other work to get them connected. All three units together take up less room than the old system.

Carrier said those are lower priority than the air conditioning there and at other facilities. It will probably be fall before the new heating system is placed into service, he said.

I'm feeling hopeful, Wesley said. This is far more than we ever hoped for.

She gave kudos to the mayor and council for working together to make a forward-thinking decision that will have such a lasting impact for the community.

I really do appreciate that, she said.

Responding to a question about whether it was worth the extra time it took, Wesley said, another month, I can live with it.

Last summer seemed extraordinarily long, she said, noting that the Harvest of History event that usually takes place in September was postponed until November, and they still needed fans to keep visitors to the center cooler that evening.

Besides the cultural center and Plaza, heating and cooling work is also planned for City Hall, the Department of Public Works, Parks and Recreation Department and Lera B. Mitchell Clubhouse, he said.

The heating, ventilation and air conditioning at Glasgow City Hall is already in the process of being upgraded, but will not require as much new equipment. Carrier said the system there had some dampers that allowed for better temperature control in different zones within the same floor, but they have become nonfunctional over time. As a result, some people would have space heaters on because they were cold, while others would be too warm, the company had observed in its contract proposal.

Those dampers are being replaced, Carrier said.

When we're done, they'll be able to control the temperature a whole lot better, he said.

Work in the Glasgow Water Co. area on one side of the main floor of City Hall was expected to be completed this week, with the crew then moving to the other side of the main floor, where city administrative offices are, he said.

The HVAC work altogether is expected to be the costliest and most time-consuming in the contract, with the next-largest commitments being the replacement of light fixtures at most facilities with LED fixtures and bulbs, and some roofing work. General weatherization work will also be done to prevent air leaks, for example, as well as other types of improvements. The city is also working with a fleet-management company recommended by Perfection Group to get open-ended leases that will allow the city to update more of its vehicles sooner, according to information provided to the council's finance committee recently.

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Cultural center A/C work underway; HVAC system getting completely replaced there - Glasgow Daily Times

Because the summer temperatures in the Middle East, the central market of Rubber World Industries (RWI), reach as high as 50C, HVAC systems are not as much luxury as necessity in the region. There are widespread efforts to incorporate elements of natural cooling into the architecture of buildings; however, HVAC systems prevail to be the most effective cooling mechanism around.

It is undeniable that HVAC systems have changed the way buildings are designed, built, and occupied. The evolution of electronics in equipment has made HVAC systems become smarter, smaller, and more efficient. They have reshaped how the systems are installed, how they are maintained, and how they operate.

But a pressing concern about HVAC systems is about how they can contribute to sustainability without sacrificing energy efficiency.

With this in mind, the governments in the Middle East, especially in countries of the Arabian Gulf region, have pushed the sustainability aspect in HVAC systems by introducing new regulations and enforcing the standard codes.

RWI, a major provider of rubber insulation products not only in the Arabian Gulf countries but also in the Southeast Asia region, takes part in promoting sustainability through its HVAC products. We remain to be committed in promoting a greener world, by integrating net zero energy and high-performance systems in our projects.

By net zero energy, it means that a building balances its energy needs with energy produced from renewable and zero-emission sources.That involves improving control of electricity, reducing the consumption, and contributing towards supplying high-quality energy.

One of the ways to achieve this is to minimize the load of the building envelope which affects what is called as space conditioning.

Space conditioning, which consists of heating, cooling, and introduction of outdoor air, is considered to be the largest energy consumption in a building. It is a system responsible for the heat loss and gain through the building envelope, the unwanted infiltration of outside air, and the buildup of contaminants within the building.

To minimize the energy consumption, it requires an evaluation of the insulating capabilities as well as controlled flows of fresh air across the building envelope. Along the process, building loads are reduced.

After the load reduction in the building envelope, the next step towards net zero energy buildings is through the use of efficient equipment which focus on space heating and space cooling.

Factors to be considered in this part are the design and installation of vapor compression heat pump systems for energy-efficient buildings and the effectiveness of low global-warming potential alternatives for hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants.

In the steps mentioned, engineers have a pivotal role in achieving success. They have the responsibility to ensure the effective implementation as well as control maintenance activities.

Engineers are also bound to apply preventive procedures to reduce chances of premature equipment failures, to provide for periodic inspection building systems in order to avoid energy emergency breakdown, and to describe overall responsibility for the operation, maintenance, repair, and replacement at the project level.

But fulfilling the demands of mixed-use facility can be challenging, considering the structures diverse components. RWI has a solution for this, and that is to engage the facilities team in the selection process to ensure that the components are using the system control.

Other than our HVAC products which meet global standards, one of our keys to success in this industry is our unique level of service and support to our customers.

This is a proven track record. In cases of interoperability issues, our service and support team responds accordingly.

From experiences in earlier projects, system integration challenges were common, with requirements of translation protocols specifications being a project requirement. RWI resolves this by guiding our clients what type of insulation system is needed to be installed.

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Overcoming Challenges in the HVAC Industry - Global News Network

A hot real estate market may have triggered another type of housing boom.

Surveys and studies are showing that home remodeling is more preferable these days to home relocation.

Nearly three out of four homeowners surveyed by Angie's List are planning a remodeling project this year, while a Harvard Center for Housing study anticipates healthy growth in remodeling through 2025.

Re-doing the kitchen is the most popular and most expensive remodeling project.

CNBC's Kelli Grant recently broke down data from the remodeling website Houzz.com on what consumers spent on remodeling projects last year.

Kitchen renovations averaged $20,000, while bathroom makeovers cost on average $12,000.

Grant says you shouldn't expect a full return on your investment.

"You end up recouping somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 to 70% back in terms of added values," she says.

Read more on NBC News.

NBC News

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More people prefer to remodel rather than relocate, survey finds - KPRC Houston

First step taken toward Johnson County Courthouse construction Kansas City Star The reconfiguration of Olathe's courthouse square began June 1, as Johnson County deeded over one of its office buildings to the city a first step to get ready for courthouse construction. The ownership transfer of the county's vacated Centennial ... and more »

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First step taken toward Johnson County Courthouse construction - Kansas City Star