Linn County

Mental Health Facility | Cedar Rapids, IA

Upon completion of the new Dr. Percy & Lileah Harris Building, the Linn County Public Health Departments moved out of their existing space, which was then renovated into a new mental health facility.

The 12,000 square foot space was converted to support mental health services such as suicide prevention, detox, and therapy with the purpose of diverting people from local hospitals and law enforcement centers to a space made specifically for their treatment. For overnight or longer-stay patients, the center has living rooms, outdoor space, and a kitchen.

The facility is conditioned by a central plant of hybrid energy recovery VRF cooling and heating units with gas-fired supplemental heat. A dedicated outside air unit with dual wheel technology with regenerative-desiccant and energy recovery provides dehumidified outside air and exhaust air. By allowing the dedicated outside air unit provides low dew point, room neutral, dehumidified outside air the VRF cooling units provide mainly sensible cooling and operate more efficiently while providing optimum patient comfort.

Some of the main electrical and communications equipment was in good condition and was reused and some required to be replaced. The head end data equipment was saved for reuse but all new data raceway and cabling throughout the building was replaced. This was also true for the video surveillance system and door access system. The electrical system, except for a newer full building emergency generator, was in poor condition. The system was upgraded and upsized while incorporating the existing generator into the new distribution system.