OUC advances $57M chilled water plant for International Drive district with SI Goldman contract

OUC advances $57M chilled water plant for International Drive district with SI Goldman contractDriven by supply chain cost increases and a massive convention center expansion, the Orlando Utilities Commission has revised the budget for its new chilled water facility and awarded a turnkey design-build contract to SI Goldman.

OUC approved a $6.3 million change order, raising the total capital budget for the International Drive chilled water plant to over $57 million.

A purchase order of just over $53 million was awarded to SI Goldman for turnkey design-build services.

The project is necessitated by a 550,000-square-foot expansion at the Orange County Convention Center, requiring an additional 1,500 tons of cooling capacity.

The new plant will connect to an existing two-mile underground piping network and a 17-million-gallon thermal energy storage tank.

The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) has greenlit a revised $57 million budget and awarded a major design-build contract to support the construction of a new chilled water plant in the International Drive District. During the April 7, 2026, meeting, the commission approved a $6.3 million change order and a purchase order of just over $53 million to SI Goldman for turnkey design-build services. The infrastructure expansion is heavily driven by the nearby Orange County Convention Center, which recently broke ground on a 550,000-square-foot, $560 million expansion. According to Wade Gillingham, who presented the project details to the commission, the convention center's growth requires an additional 1,500 tons of chilled water capacity beyond what was estimated during initial 2023 negotiations. The original construction budget approved in 2023 stood at approximately $50 million. Gillingham noted that the $6.3 million budget increase was necessary due to rising supply chain costs and the finalization of the convention center's expanded scope. The new plant will be constructed on a parcel adjacent to a Lockheed Martin facility and an existing thermal energy storage tank, which holds 17 million gallons of water. By siting the new facility near the existing infrastructure, OUC will be able to connect directly into the district's nearly two miles of existing underground piping, minimizing the need for extensive new trenching. Construction on the new chilled water facility is targeted to begin this fall, aligning with the convention center's broader expansion timeline, which is slated for completion in 2029.