Two renovation projects in Lehighton Area School District will likely cost over $20 million when heating, ventilation and air-conditioning upgrades are taken into consideration.

Bids for all but the mechanical portions of renovations to the middle and high school were opened Wednesday afternoon at the district office.The low base bids for general construction, plumbing and electrical contracts totaled $16.2 million with the cost jumping another $3 million if all alternates are selected.If all legal requirements are met, Lehighton is required to choose the lowest responsible bidder, or it could reject all bids.Lobar Inc., of Dillsburg, submitted the lowest general construction bid at $13.1 million. The company's bids for alternates at the high school included:• $283,000 for renovations to the administration and guidance areas• $516,000 for a new fitness center/wrestling room• $70,000 for acoustical improvements in the auditorium• $753,000 for metal roof alterations• $72,000 for a metal roof deep hue• $89,000 for a snow guard replacement on the roof• $6,800 for selective floor finishing replacement.•a deduction of $16,000 for secure entry alterations.Bids for alternates at the middle school included:• $88,000 for replacement of casework in the eighth-grade science lab• $133,000 for locker replacement in certain sections of the building• $84,000 for replacement of rigging and the stage curtain in the auditorium• $144,000 for Irwin seats in the auditorium or $132,000 for Hussey seats.• $61,000 for a student dining patio• $78,000 for the addition of fire walls.Other general construction bidders included Boyle Construction and Bracy Contracting, both of Allentown.Albarell Electric of Bethlehem took the low bid for the electrical portion of the projects at $2.26 million.Yannuzzi Inc. of Hazleton was the only plumbing contractor to come in under $1 million with its bid. It bid $856,558 for the base project.Lehighton Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver said all bids will be reviewed at Monday's board session.Plans for the HVAC portion of the project are up in the air. Because Lehighton is doing an energy savings, or ESCO project, Trane Comprehensive Solutions has been tasked with getting estimates from contractors.Estimates for a water-source heat pump system came in higher than expected and the district has turned its attention to a chiller boiler system.Trane expects to have estimates for the installation of a chiller boiler system, along with the energy savings it would bring, by mid-August.