The Allen County Commissioners approved an amendment May 2 to Elevatus Architecture’s professional services agreement to increase fees tied to the project’s final guaranteed maximum price (GMP) and to cover additional design work for accepted alternates.

County staff explained the original contract (signed July 2022) set the architect/engineer fee as a percentage of construction cost and required reevaluation once the final construction budget (the GMP) was approved. Staff said the amendment reflects the differential between initial estimates and the GMP and additional work tied to alternates; the transcript records the final hard construction cost discussed as $267,000,000. Elevatus provided a breakdown of subcontractor work tied to the fee adjustment and, according to staff, discounted the fee for some initial effort by about $250,000.

Corey Miller of Elevatus was present to answer technical questions. Commissioners asked for clarification on scope changes; staff and Elevatus identified items such as different wall types requested by the sheriff’s office and additional design work related to mechanical systems (a referenced subcontractor named SCO Engineering). The transcript records staff saying the amendment represents catch‑up work from the previously approved GMP and noted that, unless the board changes the scope further, the project is now largely set because bids and the GMP are in place.

The county attorney and the county’s independent owner’s representative reviewed and approved the contract language, according to staff. A motion to approve the amendment was made and seconded; the chair called for a voice vote, and the board approved the amendment with at least one abstention recorded in the audio. The transcript does not record a roll‑call breakdown of votes or the specific amended fee total in full detail in the public audio.