District 210 Awards $24.4 Million Contract for Major HVAC Upgrades

Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 Meeting | December 18, 2025

Article Summary: The District 210 Board of Education awarded a $24.4 million bid to BEAR Construction Company for comprehensive mechanical and HVAC upgrades at Lincoln-Way Central and East high schools. The project is funded through life safety bonds approved in 2025 and is scheduled to be executed over the next two summers.

Mechanical Upgrades Key Points:

• Total Contract Value: $24,419,400 awarded to BEAR Construction Company.

• Equipment Direct Purchase: An additional $3,750,000 was approved for the direct purchase of mechanical equipment through the OMNIA co-op.

• Timeline: The majority of the work at Lincoln-Way Central is slated for completion in the summer of 2026, with carryover work at both Central and East in 2027.

• Budget Status: Total project projections, including fees and equipment, stand at $30,415,862, remaining within the $30,420,000 bond funding.

The Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 Board of Education on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, moved forward with its massive life safety initiative by awarding a $24,419,400 bid for HVAC and mechanical upgrades.

The board selected BEAR Construction Company as the lowest qualified bidder for “Base Bid C,” which covers comprehensive work at both Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way East. The contract includes several alternates, such as the replacement of controls for existing equipment and the installation of conduit for new ComEd primary conductors at Lincoln-Way East.

District officials worked with DLA Architects to structure the bid process, eventually opting to “sole-source” or direct-purchase certain mechanical units through the OMNIA co-op to ensure proper fit and compliance with existing infrastructure. This equipment purchase, totaling $3.75 million from Thermosystems, was approved in a separate motion.

“We are right on budget in terms of life safety,” Assistant Superintendent Michael Duback told the board. “If there were any sort of unknown costs that exceed the life safety bond total, we will draw from budgeted capital projects funding.”

One remaining variable is the potential cost from ComEd related to switchgear upgrades, which is currently estimated at approximately $15,000.

Director of Buildings and Grounds Charles Welke has already begun scheduling meetings with the construction manager to finalize timelines. The plan prioritizes the bulk of the work at Central during the upcoming summer to minimize disruption to the 2026-27 school year.