Cowlitz County moves toward Hall of Justice HVAC and electrical modernization as design phase wraps

Cowlitz County commissioners heard a detailed briefing on a planned modernization of the Hall of Justice (HoJ) building that would replace aging HVAC equipment and controls, update electrical distribution and pursue multiple external grants to reduce the county’s cost burden.

The presentation from Lauren of Millig Design Build and Savannah Clement of the county’s Public Services office said the project addresses “severe” system deterioration, safety risks from recalled Federal Pacific electrical panels and single points of failure in the building’s HVAC plant. Lauren said the county approved a design contract last summer and the team is completing the design phase and preparing to bid construction in early February.

County officials said the HoJ currently spends more than $200,000 annually on electricity and faces high ongoing maintenance costs and recurring comfort and ventilation problems in courtrooms and staff areas. Millig’s overview described primary deficiencies: a roughly 50‑year‑old electric resistance boiler (about 1.2 megawatts), an out-of-service ground‑loop heat recovery tie‑in that prevents existing chillers from providing simultaneous hot and chilled water, original 1973 pneumatic controls with a 20‑year‑old Siemens digital…