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simultaneous hot and chilled water, original 1973 pneumatic controls with a 20‑year‑old Siemens digital overlay that is obsolete, and a single primary air handler with one fan that serves the bulk of the occupied area and represents a single point of failure.

Millig said the design approach is an integrated design‑build contract managed through the Washington Department of Enterprise Services; the firm described the selection as an open‑book cost‑plus/GMP approach, with any unused costs returned to the county. The team reported they have modeled energy impacts, completed user engagement and produced a construction sequencing plan intended to minimize disruption to court operations.

Lauren said technical steps the project will include: replacement of the main electrical distribution (the main distribution panel or MDP), zoned replacement of about 40 recalled Federal Pacific panels across two floors, replacement of the aging primary air handler(s) and modernization of controls to provide improved, per‑space temperature control and resiliency through multiple air handlers. She said replacing the main MDP will require a temporary power outage of about three to four days for the whole facility; individual downstream panels will be sequenced and replaced in zones to limit ongoing disruption.

On finances, commissioners were told earlier, spring estimates had placed the county share near $9 million; the project team said that figure remains a planning baseline in a higher‑cost construction market and that the team is pursuing outside funding. Millig said Cowlitz Public Utility District has indicated approximately $250,000 in incentives; the team intends to apply for a Washington early‑adopter incentive in the neighborhood of $200,000 and for other grant opportunities, and noted a pending Washington Clean Buildings Performance Standard grant application (due Jan. 30) for LED lighting and ceiling work. County staff confirmed the county has allocated $1 million in ARPA funds to the project. Lauren said final pricing will be delivered as an open‑book guaranteed maximum price after competitive bidding for subcontractors.

Questions from commissioners focused on operational details and cost savings. On anticipated energy savings, Lauren said she would provide exact figures but estimated an approximately $100,000‑per‑year reduction (about a 50% utility cost reduction) and said maintenance savings would also be substantial; she agreed to supply the board with the precise energy‑model outputs and lifecycle numbers. Commissioners pressed for confirmation of the number and sequencing of electrical panel replacements; Millig said the building’s main electrical room and MDP are the critical pieces for the outage and that roughly 40 Federal Pacific panels exist across the facility and will be replaced in zones as electrical work proceeds.

Millig emphasized user engagement and sequencing as central risks and tasks: the firm reported more than 2,000 staff hours in design and over 100 hours in user group meetings since August, including discussions with court clerks and judges to develop a construction plan that preserves court services. The team said bidding would occur in the first half of February, with construction currently targeted to begin in September or October, and that commissioning and a 12‑month operations verification (M&V) period will follow substantial completion.

The presentation concluded with staff saying they will provide additional detail to the board (requested items include precise annual energy‑savings estimates, the electrical panel mapping for IT and a finalized bid schedule) and return with follow‑up briefings as needed.

The briefing did not include a formal vote; commissioners signaled support for continuing the design‑to‑bid process and for bringing the project forward with the open‑book GMP after subcontractor bids are reviewed.