County officials approved the final change order for electrical work regarding the Bartholomew County Courthouse renovation project.
The Bartholomew County Commissioners on Monday approved a change order with Forster Electrical Services increasing the amount the company is being paid for work replacing data cabling in the 150 year-old courthouse.
The change order was for $25,225, meaning the new total for work Forster has done on the courthouse is $125,999.80.
The courthouse had several generations of cabling in the ceilings that needed to be replaced or removed, and although the change order is larger than is typical, the commissioners said they wanted to ensure the building had what it needed to be of use for many years to come.
“It was stuff that needed to be done,” said Commissioner Carl Lienhoop, R-District 2. “We’re trying to equip that courthouse for the next 30 to 40 years.
Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz. R-District 1, observed that: “If you want to see how electrical components have changed over 150 years, that was a good project to get educated.”
The courthouse has seen about $3.3 million in renovation work since March 2024 after years of delays. Contractor Dunlap and Co. is finished with its portion of the project and engineering consultant Strand Associates said in July that the project is at substantial completion.
Work at the courthouse was supposed to be finished this past May, but the age of the structure combined with the effort required to coordinate work while it was still open for some court proceedings prolonged completion a bit, county officials said.
The project has involved improvements to nearly every room of the 46,928-square-foot courthouse at 234 Washington St.
The entire HVAC loop system was rehabilitated, 72,000 feet of outdated data cables were replaced, and a third-floor chandelier, originally installed in 1874, was refurbished with new wiring and energy-efficient LED lights.
The courthouse also was updated with new carpet and paint, as well as new lighting on the exterior. Workers also updated second and third-floor bathrooms.
A celebration of the 150th anniversary of the courthouse was originally scheduled for last December to commemorate when construction was completed in 1874. But renovation work threw a wrench into those plans, and officials said previously they intend to commemorate the anniversary this year to observe 150 years since the courthouse became functional.
The courthouse project is being funded with $2 million from the 2024 county general fund approved by the Bartholomew County Council, more than $1 million from federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds and the remaining balance from County Economic Development Income Tax (CEDIT) revenue.
The renovations have led to some musical chairs as well, with judges and other court officials moving around as work progressed.
Circuit Court Judge Kelly Benjamin and her staff had been using the new Court Services building near First and Franklin streets for some time, but returned to the courthouse in last two weeks, according to the commissioners.
Bartholomew County Prosecutor Lindsey Holden-Kay’s staff had been operating out of the second-floor offices, normally occupied by Benjamin, before Bartholomew Superior Court 2 Judge Jon Rohde and Magistrate David Nowak used the space while their third-floor spaces were closed off. Holden-Kay and employees eventually moved back to permanent offices in the basement.
