The Parks Department opened bids May 14 to replace the ice rink chiller plant at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatic Center, and CDE Air Conditioning Co. Inc. came in lowest at $5,382,514. That makes three Parks HVAC tabs this year with the same name on top. CDE also led the Al Oerter Recreation Center and Chelsea Recreation Center HVAC jobs, both opened Feb. 13.

FMCP Aquatic Center ice rink chiller plant (Q099-420M, EPIN 84626B0068), opened May 14. Four bids: CDE Air Conditioning $5,382,514; Richards Plumbing and Heating Co. $5,492,000; ENL Mechanical Incorporated $5,787,000; ACS System Associates $7,250,000. CDE beat Richards by $109,486 (2.0%). Spread: 34.7%. Median: $5,639,500. Board: RFI-000489.

Al Oerter Recreation Center HVAC reconstruction, Queens (Q099-323M, EPIN 84626B0032), opened Feb. 13. Four bids: CDE $2,855,199; ENL Mechanical $2,944,000; ACS System Associates $3,235,000; Pen Enterprises $5,000,000. CDE by $88,801 (3.1%). Spread: 75.1%.

Chelsea Recreation Center HVAC systems reconstruction, Manhattan (M260-123M, EPIN 84626B0031), opened Feb. 13. Five bids: CDE $2,569,015; ENL Mechanical $2,674,000; Sienia Construction $2,973,750; ACS System Associates $3,295,000; Pen Enterprises $5,000,000. CDE by $104,985 (4.1%). Spread: 94.6%. Median: $2,973,750.

The pattern is consistent. CDE's margins were 2% to 4%, ENL finished second twice and third once, ACS was in every field, and Pen Enterprises bid an identical round $5,000,000 on both February jobs. Parks' posted results carry no engineer's estimate. None of the three had been awarded as of this week; an apparent low is not an award, and each goes through Parks' review before an award notice runs in City Record.

This is a small bidding pool for recreation-center mechanical work. City Record shows the last comparable Parks job, the Jackie Robinson Recreation Center HVAC reconstruction in Manhattan, went to ENL Mechanical for $2,770,000 in 2022.

Why this matters. Four or five firms are setting the price of mechanical work in city recreation centers, and one of them has led all three tabs this year. For a mechanical contractor outside that circle, these tabs show the number to beat: the winning bids ran 2% to 4% under the next firm, not 15%.

What to do next. Refrigeration, chiller, controls, sheet metal and electrical subs should price to CDE on all three. Watch City Record for the awards, and watch Parks' PASSPort postings for the next recreation-center mechanical package.

Update, Sept. 28, 2026: City Record published all three awards to CDE Air Conditioning at its bid prices: Chelsea Recreation Center for $2,569,015 (May 21, 2026), Al Oerter Recreation Center for $2,855,199 (July 13) and the FMCP Aquatic Center ice rink chiller for $5,382,514 (Aug. 11).