Creative Solutions to Age-Old Air Conditioning Dilemma

Problem: How do you overhaul a 151-unit cond-op’s central air conditioning system and make other improvements without breaking the bank?

Solution: Argo has been managing this 151-unit luxury cond-op since its conversion in 1989. Like most buildings built in the 1960’s, each room in each apartment has an individual blower/condenser unit.  Over time, the condensate pans started leaking, which caused extensive damage to the building and the residents’ units. Argo approached this problem in a cost-efficient and practical manner. Through tireless research, we located a special metal fabricator who made custom condensate pan liners—a solution many thought was not possible. These new pans were installed with a much-needed overflow alarm system, all meant to help protect valuable parquet floors. Plus, Argo recently supervised the installation of a new 450-ton cooling tower for the HVAC system at the building. The new cooling tower is more efficient and will enable the building to reduce its steam costs during the summer months.

Hallways were also renovated with eco-friendly products to ultimately reduce maintenance costs. Argo secured and analyzed multiple bids for this large job, and led an effort to finance the entire project by refinancing the underlying mortgage. The favorable rate Argo secured allowed the property to borrow additional funds to complete the renovation while keeping maintenance fees unchanged.