Grand Wayne Center, FORT WAYNE, IN
VALUE DELIVERED
Having servicing the existing controls for Grand Wayne Center for 15 years, Havel brought unchallenged expertise to the design and construction of the solution for this client’s growth.
OBJECTIVES
Grand Wayne Center’s unique facility has a city block-long, 30 ft. glass curtain wall and numerous high ceilings that make heating and cooling a controls challenge. In the face of competition for events from more exotic locales, the client could no longer rely on its central location to draw customers. So it upgraded and tripled the size of its space to keep pace. In addition, hitting the start and end dates was vital for the client, as Grand Wayne Center was shut down during construction, and every missed day of operation would mean the loss of $100,000—not to mention credibility.
SOLUTIONS
Although this was a competitive bid, as the incumbent service provider to Grand Wayne Center, Havel’s insight into the spec enabled EMCOR to provide an attractive single-source solution. Havel performed all CAD/3D, custom-panel design and fabrication, and installation of controls and building automation systems entirely in-house. The solution included web based graphics that enabled on-site staff to control two central plants and pre-cool or pre-heat large meeting rooms more efficiently. Havel also conducted training for the client’s staff on the use of the new systems, and the sound and lighting system was installed by ASG, another EMCOR Company.
BACKGROUND
The Grand Wayne Convention Center is host to over 500 events annually. The 225,000 sq. ft. facility is adjacent to the Ft. Wayne Hilton and includes 80,000 square feet of dedicated meeting space, plus 30,000 square feet of public areas. It also boasts the only meeting-facility digital sound system in the Midwest, “intelligent” lighting capabilities, and in-house technology and exhibition services with 20,000 feet of data cable and 155 miles of electrical cable.