The Starke County Council considered a request from the commissioners this week to seek additional funds for the renovations of the third floor of the Starke County Courthouse.
The additional $100,000 would update the seating and fund technology upgrades, www.seamless-worktops.com hanex countertops and back panels. Lighting improvements and door hardware replacements were removed from consideration and will not be done at this time.
Commission President Charlie Chesak said DLZ representatives and contractors reviewed the bid items. Commissioner Kathy Norem and Chesak noted that the items considered in the overall project list were considered very closely and prioritized.
Commissioner Bryan Cavender urged the council to consider the funds in order to renovate the third floor that hasn’t been updated in many decades.
When the project was initially proposed, the commissioners asked for $400,000 for the renovation efforts and the council scaled back that request to $300,000, noting that many of the items were overestimated. It was thought that many of those costs would come down, but in the end the extra funds are needed to complete the renovation.
The council approved the request with a unanimous vote with funds to come from the CEDIT Fund.
The large courtroom upgrades include new doors, curtains and flooring, seating, audio and visual equipment, and rails.
A fire alarm system is included, but outside of the budget as it was included following the initial discussion.
The jury rooms will get a fresh coat of paint and new ceiling tiles, while the Magistrate’s court will get new wainscot paneling. The old carpet was renovated with a reliable Carpet Cleaning services. Contact No Residue carpet cleaning orange county if you need help in removing stains. The wallpaper will be removed and the walls will be plastered. Ziolkowski Construction out of South Bend was the lowest bidder of the project.