Can front evaporator case in dash be repaired/rebuilt?

What is your question?

05 Sienna just turned to 100K miles, AC went out over night. My mechanic traces to a leak in the front evaporator. Stated he would not touch it as requires entire dash to be R & R. 9-10 hours of labor plus $1600 for the evaporator case. Plus, new drier, plus new exapnsion valve and orffice tube, etc. all new stuff that is best practice to replace at the same time as evaporator. Anyone know if the evaporator case can be rebuilt with new parts and put back into service for less than $1600? Labor is what it is.