|
Centre Daily Times January 11 2005
Courthouse renovation plans move into final design stage
By Lara Brenckle; lbrenckl@centredaily.com
"Plans to renovate the former M&T Bank building into a county courthouse annex moved forward last week with an agreement to pay HP Architects $148,100 to provide architectural and engineering design services for the project.
The Boalsburg firm has run through several sets of architectural drawings as it planned renovations to the 150-year-old building at 108 S. Allegheny St. The most recent set of plans are part of the final design stage. Board of Commissioners Chairman Chris Exarchos said Jan. 4 that they were "essentially done," and the project should be put out to bid this month.
The county bought the building in April for $240,000 to make room for a fourth county judge, who will be seated one year from now.
Exarchos said last week's action formalized the contract that already existed between the county and the firm. Some of the money had been spent.
The total for the project is still "hovering around $1 million," Exarchos said.
Much of the cost is due to making the building compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act and the unique challenge of restoring a historic structure.
Exarchos said last year that he would be uncomfortable moving forward with the project if the costs topped $1 million.
The building, said Commissioner Steve Dershem, will be an asset to the county for years to come.
Commissioner Scott Conklin said he did not think a lot of county business would be transacted in the new building but it would serve its intended purpose.
Conklin, who has been reserved in his judgments about the project, said he would have "different feelings" about it if the building were outside the county seat.
But, he said, the county was doing a service to the community by preserving a historic structure.
As to whether any other court-related offices besides the judge will move to the new building, Exarchos said he did not know.
That decision, he said, was up to the court administrators."
|
|
