HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Reno County Commissioner Tuesday managed to get more information over plans for the new proposed secure entrance to the Reno County Courthouse and Law Enforcement Center. Dan Rowe with Treanor Architects was before the commission and gave them an overview of not only that entrance, but plans for renovating the old jail, which now pretty much sits empty.
The question of whether to use a newer design with some brick in the entrance, which is a change from the earlier design where the addition and entrance would be more or less all glass, was the question the commission had to consider. Both Commissioner Brad Dillon and Commission Chair James Schlickau seem to like the original design with more glass.
Rowe talked cost of both the entrance and the jail remodel during the meeting. The cost estimate for the entrance comes to around $700,000. Add the remodel of the jail, the current estimate of cost for both comes to $1,253,699.
Rowe expressed some concern that these numbers may be old. He says the estimates being a year old may not reflect what the cost could be when they go to the bidding process. He says the over $1.2 million estimate could climb to nearly $1.4 million.
He says using the design with the bricks as part of the front entrance design would save around $100,000, but, despite that cost savings, the commission voted to go with the entrance using more glass.
The commission also delayed approving the contract with Rowe and his company Treanor Architects after he expressed his desire to be paid a lump sum rather than a percentage. The contract calls for the county paying a fee based on 7 percent of the estimated construction cost.
County Administrator Gary Meagher suggested they table that for one more week so he can ask some questions and get more information. The commission agreed, meaning that will come before the commission again next week.
The picture above is the proposed design approved by the County Commission