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Officials say courthouse annex renovation on track for November move-in; in-house repairs save county thousands
Summary
Facilities staff reported progress on the Ottawa courthouse annex renovation, a delayed rooftop air-handler shipment affecting the Veterans Assistance Commission buildout, rollout of a county water-management program and a new internal work-order website; staff said several repairs done in-house saved the county roughly $22,000.
Will County facilities staff told the Capital & Facilities Committee on Tuesday that renovations to the courthouse annex on Ottawa are progressing and that the county expects to move into the space in November.
The update, delivered by a facilities representative identified in the meeting as Mr. Fern, outlined work completed at the annex and at other county properties. “We’ll be on track for the November move in,” Fern said during his presentation. He described finished interior work, carpet installation and exterior window work that will provide natural light to offices that formerly faced the judge’s bench.
Why it matters: The annex move affects court operations and several county departments that currently work in scattered facilities across Joliet. Committee members raised the broader issue of county space and public access later in the meeting.
Fern also briefed the committee on a buildout at the Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) in the former Copperfield building. He said most mechanicals—air handlers, variable-air-volume boxes, lighting and security—are installed, but the two rooftop air handlers remain delayed because of shipment timing. “They moved it two weeks,” Fern said; he added that the team is watching the delivery closely but still anticipates a November opening for the annex.
Facilities staff described a countywide water-management program that will cover treated water, softened water, boiler water, tower water and Legionella testing at county buildings. Fern said the county’s building automation system (BAS) will monitor flow and chemical anomalies. He also said the water work can extend equipment life by reducing chemical damage to boilers and other systems.
The committee heard that several repairs were completed in-house, generating documented savings. Fern said two recent projects saved about $15,000 and $7,000 respectively compared with outside contracting estimates.
Facilities staff additionally reported that most scaffolding at the courthouse has been removed at no cost to the county, and showed photos of completed work. The county is also building a simple internal work-order system with ICT that initially accepts emailed requests; Fern said a more fully developed work-order application will be ready by the next capital finance meeting.
Ending note: Committee members thanked staff for the update and were invited to tour mechanical systems and other sites to better understand building needs and the condition of existing county assets.
