Macon County commissioners approved a contract Thursday with Looper Architectural Design to produce plans and oversee construction for renovations to the former National Guard Armory, which Southwestern Community College will use for training.

County manager and staff said the board previously budgeted $2.5 million for the armory renovation and related training‑site improvements. Looper’s proposal covers design through construction administration with a not‑to‑exceed fee of $181,120.53; reimbursable expenses (printing and project‑specific costs) and additional site visits were listed in the proposal at $850 per trip if they exceed the included number of site visits.

Several commissioners questioned the open‑ended nature of reimbursables and said they preferred a guaranteed maximum price in the private‑sector sense. County staff said they negotiated the proposal (including increasing included site visits and removing some items) and would try to manage trips and reimbursables carefully; staff also cited prior positive experience with the firm on county projects.

Commissioner Shields moved to approve Looper Architectural Design to proceed with design services up to the stated not‑to‑exceed fee; the motion was seconded and passed on a 5‑0 voice vote. County staff said funds are available in the capital account previously set aside for the project and work will proceed to produce construction documents and cost estimates for board review.