Cowlitz County plans major Hall of Justice HVAC and electrical overhaul; bidding set for February

Lauren (Milig Design Build), accompanied by Savannah Clement of Cowlitz County Public Services, presented a high-level overview of a planned comprehensive HVAC and electrical upgrade at the Cowlitz County Hall of Justice (HoJ). The county entered a design contract with Millig through the Washington Department of Enterprise Services, and the team is completing design work and preparing to bid the project in early February.

The project is intended to replace aging mechanical systems, obsolete controls and recalled electrical equipment while improving occupant comfort and reducing operating costs. “It costs over $200,000 a year just to pay for electricity in [that] building,” Lauren said, summarizing the project’s drivers. She described the building’s existing systems as a mix of original pneumatic controls from the 1973 construction, a 50-year-old 1.2-megawatt electric resistance boiler and a single, 50-year-old primary air-handler fan that currently serves most occupied space and is a “single point of failure.”

Why it matters: the Hall of Justice houses courtrooms, the sheriff’s department and other critical services; construction must avoid disrupting court operations and protect sensitive systems such as IT and evidence storage. Lauren said user engagement has been substantial: Millig’s team has logged roughly 2,000 hours on design and implementation planning and more than 100 hours in direct meetings with county user groups, and has met monthly with about 30 building leaders since August to coordinate work and limit disruption.

Scope and technical issues: the work Milig described includes a full HVAC replacement with modern controls and improved redundancy; removal and replacement of recalled Federal Pacific breakers found in roughly “about 40 panels that have the Federal Pacific in them across the two floors,” Lauren said; full electrical modernization including reconstruction of the main distribution panel (MDP); replacement or refurbishment of seized hydronic pumps, dampers and reheat coils; and targeted lighting and ceiling work. Lauren explained that only the main MDP replacement will require a full-building outage—expected to last three to four days—and that the remaining panel replacements will be staged in zones to avoid a single prolonged outage.

Funding, procurement and guarantees: Millig described the contract as a design–build engagement procured through Washington DES and operating as an open-book model with a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) developed after competitive subcontractor bidding. Lauren said the county will receive an open-book GMP that includes design, construction management, equipment, commissioning and M&V (measurement and verification) and a guarantee of energy savings. She reminded the board that the county’s previous rough estimate from early last spring was about $9,000,000 in county cost and emphasized the team is pursuing additional external funding to reduce the county share.

Potential outside funding Lauren listed under development include roughly $250,000 from Cowlitz PUD, an expected Washington early-adopter incentive in the ballpark of $200,000, pursuit of the Washington Clean Buildings Performance Standard grant (application due Jan. 30 for LED lighting and ceiling work), and an approximately $73,000 Washington Association of Counties grant application to support energy auditing at other county buildings. The county has already earmarked $1,000,000 in ARPA funds toward the project, and county capital reserves are expected to cover remaining local contributions based on current budget assumptions.

Performance and savings: Milig used an energy model to compare life-cycle costs of different upgrade options. Lauren gave a preliminary energy-savings estimate from memory: “I want to say it's in the ballpark of $100,000 a year cost reduction, so about a 50% cost reduction. But I will get back to you with that exact number.” She also said the Lewis County jail project—cited as a comparable Millig job—had produced energy savings that exceeded projections and produced $300,000 in outside incentives.

Timeline, phasing and operations: Milig expects to issue bid documents and conduct subcontractor site walks in early February, then develop the GMP and finalize the construction contract. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in September or October. Because the building houses active courtrooms and other essential services that cannot be relocated easily, Milig emphasized construction sequencing and coordination: the firm is developing a BIM model to deconflict existing piping, conduit and ductwork, and will work with courts to compress or adjust schedules so that noisy or disruptive work does not overlap testimony or court proceedings. Lauren said the team explored temporary relocations but concluded courts would remain in situ during construction.

Project risk and safety: Lauren highlighted current safety concerns tied to recalled electrical equipment (Federal Pacific panels and “stab lock” breakers), poor ventilation in some spaces, obsolete control systems with compressed-air leaks, and an over-reliance on portable heaters and window units to manage comfort. She said the design intent includes increased redundancy—multiple air handlers instead of the single primary unit—and replacement of fire-risk electrical panels.

Next steps and board follow-up: Lauren offered to return with more technical detail and to provide the board and county staff with the specific energy-savings figures and a detailed electrical map for IT to verify which panels serve server rooms. Savannah Clement and county staff will receive the detailed cost and savings figures Milig committed to provide. No formal board action was taken at the presentation; the project will return for procurement and contract approvals once bid results and the GMP are available.