Sherburne County officials are exploring the possibility of expanding the Government Center to accommodate  present needs, future growth and a more modern court facility.

 

What it will cost and how big the expansion will be is still a question. But that question might be answered later this fall.

 

Last month, the county board approved a contract with BWBR Architects to review the county’s expansion plans from 2008 and gather input from the courts and county departments to develop a new master plan.

 

Tuesday, Doug Wild of BWBR Architects updated the county commissioners on the progress so far.

 

He said county department heads have been meeting with staff to get input about their space needs and there have been discussions about potential tenants renting space as part of the overall plan.

 

Wild said BWBR would be meeting with department heads and administration Sept. 22 and 23 to discuss space needs and the tenant issues. 

 

Judicial design consultants were brought in and interviewed and one firm was selected. 

 

“We’re working with them to get their input,” he said.

 

BWBR did a mechanical, electrical and plumbing analysis to see what has been done at the Government Center since the last expansion plans were developed in 2008. And stormwater impacts are being reviewed.

 

“There are no drawings yet,” said Wild. “We’re still in  the data-gathering stage.”

 

He said they received proposals for a construction manager, narrowed the list and were set to do interviews Thursday.  One of the construction manager’s first efforts will be to take all the information and establish a project cost. Wild said that should be expected in November or December.

 

Back in February, 2007, KKE Architects outlined a long-term, multi-phase Government Center expansion plan estimated at almost $56 million. That plan would have increased the total space at the Government Center from 104,864 sf to 311,530 sf.

 

It included construction of a new 81,000 sf building and a 10,000 sf second floor addition to house the county boardroom, public health, social services, court services, archive filing and a break room/cafe. 

 

A later phase would have included remodeling the current first floor space to accommodate the sheriff's department, extension office, veterans services and information services (IS), plus construction of a new 50,000 sf building to the west to house the recorder, assessor’s office, auditor/treasurer, planning and zoning and public works, including the office now located on Jackson Ave. in Elk River. It would also include space for the offices of the 10th Judicial District.

 

All those plans were put on hold once the economy tanked and the county was looking at layoffs.

 

In September, 2008, the board was set to hire a construction manager, but instead, decided it wasn’t the right time to move ahead with the project.

 

“If we proceeded with this it would be like arranging the chairs on the Titanic,”  said Commissioner Rachel Leonard back then. “We’re looking at laying off some staff.

 

We’re looking at a hiring freeze and cutting back on some programs. I think it's the only prudent course.”

 

Leonard was just as wary about a major project now. Tuesday, she said the commissioners had to choose wisely if they decided to move ahead with expansion.

 

“I want to re-echo what I said before. I don’t want a Cadillac plan,” she said. “Before I’m voting for anything, I want a cap on the cost.”

 

Wild said BWBR intended to give the board all the information it needed to make an informed decision.

 

“The nature of the team is such that we need to be responsive to the business objective of our clients. If we are not, then the project fails,” he said. “The process is designed to bring on the expertise necessary so we can bring to you a valid assessment of need and a valid cost related to that need. Then there will be decisions that have to be made. Will they all be easy? No, but we’ll have the data in front of us.”