Stolen HVAC units could stall move-in for senior center

By Caroline Sweeney
casweeney@pottsmerc.com 

POTTSTOWN — After three HVAC units were stolen from the new Pottstown Area Senior Center, the proposed move-in date is now in doubt.

Brad Fuller, the executive director at the center, said the units were stolen some time between Sunday afternoon and early Monday morning from 288 Moser Road.

“The contractors discovered they were missing,” Fuller said.

As of right now, the center hopes to move its offices into the building on Dec. 20, but the stolen units were used to heat that portion of the building, Fuller said.

The center is currently using the Berean Bible Church as a temporary space during the transition from its old space at the YMCA at 724 N. Adams St.

“I don’t have an exact total at this point, but it could cost between $8,000 and $10,000,” Fuller said of the cost to replace the units. “It could be more.”

Fuller said the money used to replace the units would have to come from elsewhere in the budget.

The units were approximately 15 years old, but still worked very well, according to Fuller. He is worried the cost of new units will not be covered by the insurance claim.

Fuller said that filing an insurance claim may not be financially feasible considering how old the units were.

After he was notified the units were missing, Fuller said he contacted local scrap metal shops. Unfortunately, Fuller said he was told most units are broken down into pieces before being sold.

“They took the biggest part of the unit,” Fuller said, “They cut pipes and cut wiring. There is nothing left but cinder blocks.”

The contractor for the building told Fuller to put security fencing around the new units. Although Fuller agrees with the idea, he does not want to make the space feel too industrial. But Fuller said he cannot afford for the new units to be stolen as well.

“It is unfortunate and discouraging,” Fuller said about the incident.

A police report about the incident was not available as of Wednesday.