Ameresco, Inc., announced the substantial completion of a Progressive Design Build project for Tacoma Public Schools to modernize the HVAC system at McKinley Swing School, supporting improved energy efficiency and a more optimized learning environment for students and staff. 

The project, valued at $7.8 million, included an upgrade of the McKinley Swing School’s aging HVAC system, which had reached the end of its life, while also navigating the requirements of the historical registry, ensuring upgrades were sensitive to the school’s historic character and preservation guidelines. As portions of the building remained occupied throughout construction, the team coordinated closely with the district to maintain safe and functional educational spaces. The project achieved substantial completion on December 31, 2025. 

In addition to modernizing energy infrastructure, the project supported Pierce County’s utilization goals, including a 30 percent engagement of local contractors and participation by small and minority/women-owned business enterprises (MWBE). 

“This project represents a major step forward for our school and community,” said Greg Stidham, project manager, at Tacoma Public Schools. “By replacing the aged boiler system with a modern HVAC system, we’re creating a more comfortable and reliable learning environment so students and staff can focus on what matters most. Collaborating with Ameresco allowed our district to plan carefully, prioritize student needs, and progress the work with minimal disruption to learning.” 

Building on a longstanding partnership with Tacoma Public Schools, the project followed a Progressive Design-Build model, an emerging approach that allows scope and cost to be defined collaboratively during an initial development phase. Unlike traditional Design-Build, where scope and pricing are fixed at procurement, Progressive Design-Build emphasizes qualifications and establishes a guaranteed project cost after design development, making it particularly well suited for end-of-life infrastructure replacement projects. 

“We’re proud to further our partnership with Tacoma Public Schools through this project,” said Lou Maltezos, Co-President of Ameresco. “Leveraging a Progressive Design-Build model allowed us to work collaboratively to define scope, manage costs, and deliver energy infrastructure that supports the needs of a historic school facility and the community it serves.”