The Starke County Commissioners are expected to award bids this evening for the interior build-out of the Starke County Jail Courtroom. The commissioners received eight bids for general services and four each for mechanical and electrical work. Representatives from Skillman Corporation took them under advisement at the Jan. 8 bid opening and have reviewed them to make sure they meet the specifications outlined in the project documents. Base bids range from a low of $167,500 to a high of $227,250, with five alternates each.
Bids for the mechanical work range from a low of $45,985 to a high of $56,800, while bids for the electrical work came in at a low of $79,672 and a high of $129,240. The Starke County Building Corporation and Commissioners will meet jointly at 6 p.m. at the county annex building to make a final decision.
The courtroom will be used for video arraignment to lessen the need to transport prisoners between the new facility on State Road 8 east of Knox and the existing circuit courtroom at the Starke County Courthouse. The new facility is still on track to open in the spring.
