Cowlitz County moves forward on Hall of Justice HVAC, electrical modernization project

Lauren, a Millig Design Build representative, told the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 5 that the county’s Hall of Justice (HOJ) requires comprehensive mechanical and electrical upgrades to address failing equipment, outdated controls and high operating costs. “It costs over $200,000 a year just to pay for electricity in alone in that building,” Lauren said, and noted the facility still uses original 1973 pneumatic controls with a Siemens digital overlay that Millig described as “very outdated.”

The presentation summarized work Millig has completed during the design phase and the county’s next steps. Millig said the county entered a contract for design work last summer through the Washington Department of Enterprise Services (DES) and that the firm operates as a design‑build contractor under an open‑book, cost‑plus approach with a guaranteed maximum price. Lauren said bidding is planned for February and construction is targeted to begin in September or October 2025.

Why it matters: Millig and county staff described a long list of safety, reliability and comfort problems: seized hydronic pumps, failed dampers, clogged reheat coils, a single 50‑year‑old air handler serving much of the occupied area, and Federal Pacific electrical panels subject to recall. The contractor said the existing electric resistance boiler is 50 years old, the heat‑recovery chiller no longer produces hot and chilled water simultaneously because a former ground‑loop system is disconnected, and that one 2x4 currently props open outside‑air dampers. Millig also described mold remediation and frequent maintenance work as ongoing cost drivers.

Project scope and funding: Millig said the scope includes a new HVAC system with modern controls, replacement of recalled Federal Pacific components and modernization of electrical distribution, LED lighting work and ceiling improvements where appropriate. The presentation referenced an estimated project cost environment of roughly $9 million (preliminary estimate) and named several potential external funding sources under discussion: roughly $250,000 from Cowlitz PUD, an expected Washington “early adopter” incentive in the neighborhood of $200,000 (estimate), pursuit of the Washington Clean Buildings Performance Standard grant for lighting/ceiling work (application due Jan. 30), and a roughly $73,000 Washington Association of Counties grant for audit work. County staff also reported $1,000,000 in ARPA funds allocated to the project.

Schedule and construction logistics: Millig emphasized the difficulty of doing major work inside an occupied courthouse with seven courtrooms and critical services. The firm said it has logged over 2,000 hours on design and planning, met frequently with user groups (about 30 leaders, 100+ hours of engagement) and will phase work to minimize court disruptions. Millig warned the main electrical distribution (MDP) replacement will cause a 3–4 day power outage to the facility’s main feed and that panels across the building (about 40 Federal Pacific panels were identified) will be replaced in zones as feeders are reconnected and mechanical/electrical work proceeds.

Risks, tradeoffs and next steps: Millig described alternatives evaluated during design — for example, reusing the perimeter hydronic system after refurbishment rather than full replacement — and said several design adjustments were made after preliminary cost estimating to stay close to budget. The firm said it will deliver bid documents, conduct site walks and produce an open‑book guaranteed maximum price following subcontractor bids. Millig also noted the project will include a commissioning and measurement & verification period for at least 12 months after substantial completion.

Direct quotes: Lauren said Millig’s Lewis County jail work helped secure the selection: “Millig really went above and beyond, helping try to get the best value for their money, writing grants and processing utility incentives, doing stakeholder engagement.” On safety and execution she said the Lewis County project had “0 accidents, 0 safety violations.”

Funding context and county comment: County staff confirmed the ARPA allocation of $1,000,000 toward the project and said remaining funding would come from capital reserves and external grants/incentives. Commissioners asked for a specific energy‑savings estimate; Lauren said she believed annual utility savings would be “in the ballpark of a hundred thousand dollars a year” (about a 50% reduction) but pledged to provide a precise life‑cycle energy savings figure to county staff after the meeting.

The county and Millig will bring bid documents to market in February, evaluate competitive subcontractor proposals, and return to the board with the construction guaranteed maximum price and a recommended construction contract and schedule.