The Pulaski County Council and Pulaksi County Commissioners met in joint session Monday night where they discussed how to move forward with addressing a courthouse project.
The commissioners previously approved a contract with Tonn and Blank to renovate the courthouse. It has been noted in past discussions that there are several structural inadequacies at the courthouse including poor air quality, ADA accommodations, operation space, and general interior and exterior maintenance issues.
Pulaski County Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer stated that an updated courthouse rehabilitation project cost from Baker Tilly was estimated at about $6.1 million which is an all-inclusive estimate of legal, design and construction costs.
Just to give comparison costs, Origer said to completely demolish the courthouse and build a new facility would be approximately $7.8 million. It would be about $7.6 million to build a new facility at a new location with courthouse offices, but keep the courthouse as it is.
He noted that any scenario would eliminate occupancy of the East Annex building, but a location would be needed to house Purdue Extension and the Health Department.
Origer asked the council members if they were supportive of moving forward with a project, and formally decide on a funding mechanism in the next few months. It could result in a property tax increase, but more information on that will unfold in the next few months as the council makes decisions on the funding mechanism.
Origer commented that American Rescue Plan Act funds could be considered for HVAC costs in the project which would help with $805,000 of the total cost. Commission President Chuck Mellon added that other grants or means of gathering funds could help make the project more affordable. The council members approved a motion to support the renovation with the consideration of a funding mechanism by a vote of 4-3. Ken Boswell, Kathi Thompson, Brian Young, and Adam Loehmer voted in favor of the vote, while Mike Tiede, Rudy DeSabatine, and Tim Overmyer voted against the motion.
