WASHINGTON COUNTY QUORUM COURT : Officials to vote on bond issue for courthouse refurbishment
Posted on Thursday, October 9, 2008
As it continues implementing its plan to meet space needs, the Washington County Quorum Court at its meeting tonight will consider a bond issue to pay for the $ 5 million renovation of the Historic Washington County Courthouse.
The court will consider an ordinance authorizing the issuance and sale of capital improvement revenue bonds to finance costs of renovating, furnishing and equipping the historic courthouse, according to the ordinance language.
The Quor um Cour t meeting is set to begin at 7 p.m.
The estimated cost of interior renovation of the historic courthouse is $ 5 million.
That $ 5 million figure was arrived at in the process of looking at what a 20-year bond issue could finance, said County Administrator John Gibson.
Then, he said, the architect was instructed to do the project for $ 5 million.
"We're going to make a huge effort to keep it at that," Gibson said.
County Judge Jerr y Hunton said," For quite a long time, that number was there. Back there when we first did the outside of the building, that number kept resurfacing and resurfacing."
He said he knew "we had to cap it"and he said the architect thought it was a good number.
Gibson said the ordinance tonight will "start the wheels turning"on the project by having finances in place to begin paying the architect and preliminary work before the renovation starts.
The architectural firm is Polk Stanley Rowland Curzon Porter Architects of Little Rock, which is the same firm involved with exterior renovation of the historic courthouse. Gibson said the firm has received some of its pay from the buildings and grounds fund up to this point. Construction manager for the project is Kinco Contractors, a local firm, Gibson said.
More information about the details of the interior renovation will be available to the Quorum Court once the architect and construction manager finish a preliminary study, Gibson said.
That study will include some demolition of walls and ceilings to assess the situation, he said.
"Those findings will have a bearing on what we do in that building," Gibson said. "In other words, if we have a lot of things wrong, we may be able to do fewer cosmetic things and more general fixing things, if you will."
Gibson said the process should take about three or four months.
Hunton said the construction manager will help "us affix cost to the project. They're going to cost it out. That's a little hard for an architect to do sometimes."
He said having Kinco in place helps the county maximize the $ 5 million and "make sure we get the biggest bang for our buck."
He said that will help the county when the project goes to bid.
A general contractor will be selected in a bidding process.
Renovation of the historic courthouse is part of an overall plan to meet future space needs.
Justice of the Peace Tom Lundstrum, who has been a vocal opponent of other facets of the space needs plan, says he plans to vote against the ordinance for the bond issue.
"Five million dollars is a lot of money," said Lundstrum, who represents the Elm Springs, Tontitown and Johnson areas.
He said that while he wants to preserve the historic courthouse, it can be done for less money. He said his constituents have indicated it is too much money.
The interior renovation of the historic courthouse will include heating, ventilation and air conditioning as well as new electrical work, Gibson said. He said it is uncertain if new plumbing will be required. Asbestos and lead paint abatement are also known issues, he said.
Jack Norton, who represents the western part of the county supports it.
"I think it's something we need to get on with and get done because we'll get some useful space out of the courthouse from the bond issue," Norton said. "We'll get a good, usable space out of that, and we need to preserve it also. "Justice of the Peace Steve Zega, who represents eastern Fayetteville, has been an advocate of keeping the courts downtown since Hunton proposed a judicial complex in the south part of Fayetteville. "I wanted to keep the footprint downtown," he said. Zega also said he has long believed that the historic courthouse should be renovated "precisely for that reason: It's the historic courthouse. "He said the bond issue and renovation will preserve "the iconic building in Washington County that is on our seal and flag"and use the building for needed court and office space. He said he does not believe the project is too expensive "because the alternative, I guess, is to bulldoze it. "If he had to pick between bulldozing the new courthouse and the old one, he said," I would say bulldoze the new courthouse. "He said he believes the historic courthouse contains too much history. "There's value to having that building still stand," he said. He said the renovation will probably make the building even more energy efficient than it became when the exterior was renovated. "In the long term, that's going to be a good investment for us," he said. As for the price, he said, construction and fuel costs what they are," I don't know if you're going to get a better bargain than that."
Overall plan Part of the county's overall space-needs plan included the recent $ 4. 5 million purchase of the Terminella Building on South College Avenue, which will house the Public Defender's Office. The office is expected to move from its house across the street by the first of the year. The Quorum Court already has appropriated $ 58, 000 to pay for new furniture in the building. Gibson said Tuesday night during the Finance Committee meeting that the bids for furniture have come in about $ 2, 000 less than the appropriation. Also up for consideration tonight by the Quor um Court is a proposal to spend $ 500, 000 in the Terminella Building to construct a new courtroom. The idea is for that courtroom to be occupied by 4 th Circuit Judge Mary Ann Gunn while the historic courthouse is renovated. Then she will move back, and the courtroom would be available for a new judge. The district is expected to add a judgeship in 2011.
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