MDP Replacement in 50-year-old building

Follow along as Interstruct Select Projects tackles this complex project.

Interstruct Select Projects has kicked off a complex, multi-phase electrical upgrade for owner’s rep Foundry Commercial in Winter Park, starting with the replacement of an obsolete Main Distribution Panel (MDP) in a 50-plus-year-old building. As part of the work, the building’s mechanical room is being relocated from the basement to the third floor—an ambitious move that required extensive planning and precision execution.

Phase One: Rerouting Power at the Source

Before the new MDP could be installed, we had to bring power from the City of Winter Park utilities to its new location. That meant tracking down the existing underground conduits, intercepting them, and creating a new path to reach the third-floor mechanical room.

Working from 50-year-old civil drawings—drafted in the pre-digital, mechanical-drafting era—meant treating this phase more like an archaeological dig than a demolition project. Every shovel of dirt came with the potential to uncover something critical. We needed to avoid damaging a dense network of incoming utilities: gas, electric, sewer, and communication lines.

Once we identified everything in our path, we established a precise trajectory from the utility vault to our new vertical riser. This set the stage for installing new conduit chases along the building’s exterior, running up to the third floor.

What’s Next: Phase Two

With the conduits now in place, the next step is to connect the City of Winter Park utilities to the new MDP in its third-floor mechanical room.

This project is a continuation of our relationship with Foundry, which began when we replaced their sanitary sewer line. That successful collaboration led to this opportunity—proof that doing great work opens the door to even more complex, high-stakes projects.

Interstruct Select Projects

Interstruct Select Projects addresses the challenges many clients face when seeking experienced contractors for smaller-scale, high-urgency projects that require fewer vendors and a swift turnaround. The Select Projects division succeeds from its relationships with Interstruct’s Design + Build team and the company’s work history with over 200 proven and trusted subcontractors.

Interstruct Select Projects provides tailored solutions + expertise for select commercial construction projects. Led by Spencer Mitchell. Call Spencer to discuss your needs: 407-720-2881.

See More Select Projects on Post + Beam

See Select Projects’ approach to a sanitary sewer line replacement in a 1970s building.