Preparations are being completed for a 15-month long renovation of the Bartholomew County Courthouse.
Extensive upgrades of the 46,928-square-foot courthouse will take place as the community observes the historic building’s 150th anniversary.
Dunlap and Co. was awarded the base bid of $3.375 million to replace nearly all the pipes that control heating and cooling in the building. County officials have also agreed to three optional proposals. One involves spending $21,400 to remove a third-floor chandelier installed when the courthouse was completed in 1874. The lighting fixture will be shipped off for refurbishment, shipped back and reinstalled.
A second option approved by the county includes the installation of red, green and blue LED exterior decorative lights, as well as the replacement of all conventional outdoor floodlights. There have been occasions when the exterior of the courthouse is changed by colored lighting to mark special observances. The total cost of the second option is $46,700.
The third and final approved option involves using stainless steel piping, rather than black carbon steel, to replace the current pipes connected to boilers and chillers that control heating and air-conditioning. Whenever possible, welding will be used to install new pipes, rather than using press fittings, to reduce the chances of a leaking joint, project consultant Tony Akles said.
Since the county chose three of five optional projects, it gave the commissioners leverage to sit down with the contractor to look for cost savings that will not compromise quality. Following negotiations, Dunlap and Co. agreed to lower the total bid (base bid and three options) from $3,443,100 down to $3,272,880, county Commissioner Tony London said. That’s a 5% reduction, or a savings of $170,220.
The savings will allow the county to perform additional upgrades such as updating second and third-floor bathrooms, as well as rewiring the entire building for upgraded technology, Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz said.
Once the project is completed in 2025, other improvements such as window and door replacements will be considered on an annual basis, the commissioners said.
The renovation work may cause some inconvenience to courthouse workers and visitors, county officials said.
“For the most part, we’re going to let the contractor have a floor-at-a-time,” Akles said.
As the county did during a massive interior upgrade of the courthouse in the 1990s, some protective tunneling will be installed for the safety of courthouse workers and visitors, Kleinhenz said.
The project is being funded with $2 million from the 2024 county general fund approved by the Bartholomew County Council, $1 million from the federal American Rescue Plan allocation to the county, and the remaining money will come from County Economic Development Income Tax (CEDIT) revenue.
Construction is expected to begin in either late February or early March.
