The green light has been given for what will be the first of several costly improvements at the Bartholomew County Courthouse.
The Bartholomew County commissioners have awarded a contract to an Indianapolis mechanical contracting firm to replace the sources of heat and air conditioning for the 144-year-old building.
The bid submitted by Sullivan and Poore Inc. to replace the underground boilers and chillers located on the building’s southwest side totaled $388,000.
That amount was 15 percent below the next lowest bid, and substantially less than the $500,000 anticipated in the commissioners’ capital maintenance and improvement plan.
When the five-year plan was presented in early April, the commissioners expressed concern that about 70 employees who work in the courthouse, as well as visitors, might be forced to endure a period of hot summer weather without air conditioning in a building with sealed windows.
But that won’t be the case, commissioners chairman Larry Kleinhenz said Tuesday.
Only preliminary work that will not require the disconnection of any chillers will be done this summer, he said.
With unit replacement scheduled for the fall, Kleinhenz expressed confidence that both the new boilers and chillers will be installed before the arrival of winter weather.
The project will be paid for with county economic development income tax revenue, the commissioners chairman said.
Tuesday’s bid approval comes two weeks after one of the coolers broke down, prompting the commissioners to authorize county maintenance director Rick Trimpe to oversee repairs that should keep the current air conditioning system working until units are replaced, Kleinhenz said.
Next on the list of anticipated courthouse repairs will be a $100,000 upgrade of the building’s electrical system that may also be completed before the end of this year, according to the five-year plan.
The first of a two-phase effort to replace windows is expected to begin next year, and conclude in 2020, the plan stated. Each phase is estimated to cost about $600,000.
In addition, the commissioners anticipate spending another $600,000 for courthouse roof repairs in 2019.
Efforts to address significant erosion to the courthouse limestone foundation, as well as upper level brickwork, will be delayed until 2022, however, the plan stated. Exterior and facade repairs are expected to cost about $1.5 million.
