Renovation Update
State
kicks in $500,000
to make Jefferson County
Courthouse accessible
Grant
will pay for larger elevator,
other access changes
By
Laura Hodges
Contributing Writer
(December 2010) – Jefferson County, Ind., will
get some help from the state of Indiana to rebuild the interior of its
Courthouse.
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Photo
by Darrel Taylor The
cupola and |
A $500,000 grant from the Indiana Office of Community
and Rural Affairs will allow the addition of a new, roomier elevator
and other accessibility improvements that will help the county comply
with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
The Jefferson County Courthouse was destroyed in an accidental fire
on May 20, 2009.
The County Commissioners are poised to award a contract for interior
rebuilding during December to one of five competing companies. Architect
Ron Creviston is evaluating the bids while the commissioners wait for
the state to complete authorization of the $500,000 Community Development
Block Grant.
The commissioners had hoped to get the interior work completed by May
6, 2011, but that date will be pushed farther into the future due to
the delay caused by the grant process.
HGC Construction of Cincinnati submitted the lowest base bid of $3.5
million for the Courthouse work. Other bids:
• Glen Roy Construction of Indianapolis, $3.7 million;
• Morel Construction of Louisville, $3.7 million;
• Poole Group of Dillsboro, $4.4 million;
• Parco Construction of Louisville, $4.4 million.
Commission President Tom Pietrykowski said that whichever firm gets
the bid will receive the same instructions from the Commissioners: “We’re
going to encourage them to buy locally and hire locally as much as possible.”
Only American citizens can be hired to work on the project, he said.
Jefferson County was also awarded a $250,000 grant from the City of
Lawrenceburg’s gaming revenue, which was to have been used for
a Courthouse addition. The Jefferson County Council nixed the addition,
however, so it is uncertain whether the county can keep that money.
John Staicer, president and executive director of Historic Madison Inc.,
has urged the commissioners to modify the grant request so that the
$250,000 from Lawrenceburg can be used to restore the Courthouse’s
original windows.
He said the first floor windows are an original part of the 1855 structure
and should be retained because the Courthouse has been designated as
an outstanding architectural contribution to the National Historic Landmark
District.
“Loss of original materials will have a deleterious effect on the
building and could affect the Landmark designation,” said Staicer.
When bids were solicited for interior renovation, the contractors had
the option of submitting alternative bids for windows. The price could
vary greatly according to whether new windows or restored windows are
selected for the project.
Asked about whether the county will modify the City of Lawrenceburg
grant request, commissioner Julie Berry said, “We’ll have
to see the terms of the contract before we make that decision.”