The county commissioners Wednesday awarded a $409,600 contract to upgrade the HVAC system at the courthouse that will allow more use of the building.

The contract was awarded to Thermal Tech of Sewickley, Allegheny County, to continue work on the HVAC system that started last year.

The contract includes the purchase and installation of 114 fan coils at a cost of $151,470.

Facilities and operations director Mike Hillwig explained that the existing coils installed in the mid-1980s were designed for heating purposes and not for cooling but have been used for both. Being used for cooling has caused the coils to corrode and rust, he said.