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County committee reviews space needs study; staff weigh additions, new building or offsite purchase including Northland College parcels
Summary
Architects' study identified tight space at the courthouse and sheriff's department and presented options ranging from small additions to buying another building; staff said parts of the Northland College campus and two riverside parcels may be for sale and are under discussion.
County staff presented a space needs study to the Public Property and Law Enforcement Committee that identified the courthouse and the sheriff's department as top priorities for additional space and laid out options including additions, buying a new building, or a broader reorganization of county departments.
Staff told the committee architects from Bold Architects had toured county facilities, measured space and developed a priority list. The courthouse was described as nearly full and constrained: staff said an addition is not feasible because the building is on a historic registry, there is limited room for expansion "and the cost would be astronomical given how this building looks." The sheriff's department has space and equipment issues; staff said adding onto the sheriff's facility was possible but would reduce the existing rear parking lot.
Options presented included building additions at specific sites, constructing a new law enforcement campus, or buying an offsite building and consolidating several departments there. Staff said the county could buy a building, move Human Services (HHS), land conservation and other departments into it, and then repurpose or sell the HHS building. The architects' work included phased infrastructure upgrade concepts and reorganization scenarios.
Staff also told the committee the Northland College campus was slated to be put up for sale; peripheral properties on the White River were already being marketed, and the county is in discussions to purchase two parcels in neighboring counties as interim holdings to transfer to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) later. The presenter said the county was evaluating whether available campus property would be suitable for county use.
The committee did not approve a course of action at the meeting; staff said next steps include reviewing drawings and costs and deciding how much the county would be willing to pay if it pursues purchase or construction.
