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Architects reveal plans to bring courthouse back to former glory |
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Written by Larry McGuire
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Wednesday, 14 May 2008 |
 (Photo by Larry McGuire/The Punxsutawney Spirit)
BROOKVILLE -- Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates presented the scope of work, the cost and a timeline at a special meeting Tuesday at Jefferson Place concerning the proposed renovations at the Jefferson County courthouse.
Jeff Straub, the Mechanicsburg firm’s senior architect, said only in the last month has the firm resolved the direction in which to move with the project.
“We had a lot of initial surveying to do on the building before we determined a true scope of the project,” he said.
Straub said the project is initially expected to cost $3.9 million in construction costs, which are tentative and based on the initial feasibility study. Last week, engineers completed all their final surveys and are completing the detailed drawings.
Straub said there’s another $600,000 in soft costs -- usually 22 percent of a project -- that could be added.
The Jefferson County Commission has acquired a grant from the Pennsylvania Historic Museum Commission for the exterior renovations of the building -- but the clock is ticking.
“That money needs to be used by the end of the year,” Straub said. “As we started delving into the project, there’s a lot more than just exterior renovations.”
He cited the courthouses’s 38-year-old rubber roof which, when installed, had a life expectancy of five to 10 years was under warranty.
“Those roofs were only expected to last 20 years,” Straub said. “In this case, you got more than your life out of the roof.”
He noted that water is leaking into the building, a problem that must be mediated to prevent further damage.
Most notably, water damage can be found in the balcony of the large courtroom, the back wall of the small courtroom and to a wall in a stairwell.
“The project is in design and development mode,” Straub said. “We’ve flushed out the size of the project, and now we’re working out the nitty-gritty details: What kind of wire is going into the building, what type of roof are we putting on the building, what type of windows are we putting on the structure.”
Straub said the project will be bid in July, with only four or five prime contractors for the renovation, general construction, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and possibly asbestos.
Following negotiations with the contractors, construction is scheduled to begin in August or September.
The length of the project is expected to be one year and should be completed by the end of summer 2009.
The project will become phased, and once the contractors are ready to begin, there will be scaffolding erected around the entire building, as well as the bell tower.
“Work will begin immediately on the exterior portions of the renovation so further damage doesn’t occur to the interior of the building,” Straub said. “Then we can prepare for the interior renovations with a more intensive (focus) on how it interacts with district attorney, prothonotary, judge’s chambers and sheriff.”
Major moving of offices must occur either in phases or all at once, he said.
The paint will be stripped from the building, and a new metal roof will be installed which will be more historic in nature and has a longer life span than a rubber roof.
The interior of the building will be renovated beginning in November, which will hopefully be enough time for the commissioners and the department heads to prepare to move.
There are two options: Phase and move into another location or implement two large moves, two floors at a time.
Commission Chairman Paul Corbin said they are exploring how to move staff.
Also, Straub responded to criticisms by Commissioner Jeff Pisarcik, who said he felt Crabtree Rohrbaugh isn’t “green enough.”
Straub said the firm has a long history of participating with energy performance contractors, and it designed the largest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) registered building in the country for Cabela’s Retail Inc. in Lacey, Wa.
But in an interview with The Spirit following the meeting, Pisarcik said he’s still not convinced
“After the presentation today, they have told me nothing more than they’re certified in energy savings,” he said. “Until they guarantee us a savings -- or certify our building, in which we heard today that they won’t -- I’m not on board.
“In their presentation, they’ve done a lot, but it’s been all manufacturing and school districts, no courthouses,” Pisarcik added. “I still have an issue with them not guaranteeing energy savings.”
Corbin said the commissioners have tried to move forward with this project.
“Keep in mind the costs, and we’ve had some comments, which you’re going to have with any project,” he said, citing work on the Jefferson County jail, in which the county renovated and added on instead of building a whole new jail.
“We tried to be efficient with the tax dollars, which is how we look at this project,” Corbin said. “It’s a very historic and beautiful building. We take seriously that we want to preserve and move forward on the project.” |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 15 May 2008 )
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