Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facility Relocation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee discusses Building C removal, IT relocation and 'swing space' options ahead of construction
Summary
County staff told the committee that Building C will likely be impractical to preserve during Center of Government construction, that IT, Board of Elections and Assessment functions will need relocation, and that options include using vacant county space, short‑term leases, or capital‑project funding for swing space.
County staff told the Downtown Facilities Special Committee that Building C is likely to be affected by proposed footprints for the new Center of Government and that preserving the building in place during construction would be difficult because of encroaching footprints, dust, noise and fragile infrastructure.
The committee heard that Information Technology, the Board of Elections and the Assessment office all depend on infrastructure that currently runs through shallow underground conduits and tunnels between buildings; staff cautioned that construction work could compromise fiber and other connections. "There's really a delicate, fiber connection from building C running over to main courthouse, which is pretty shallow, below the pavement," county staff said, noting asbestos in tunnels that limits access and arguing that some infrastructure should be re‑routed overhead rather than kept underground.
Staff reported they have accepted additional consultant services to develop an ITS relocation plan and said IT leadership is open to the concept of swing space and to staging moves to reduce disruption. County staff noted roughly 7,000 square feet of vacant office space in the county mental‑health building that could serve as temporary space for some departments, and committee members discussed leasing first‑class office space nearby as another short‑term option.
On financing, staff said costs for temporary relocation (leasing or preparing swing space) are typically covered by the capital project budget for the construction work, but Finance department staff Laurie cautioned that those costs cannot be included in bond financing and would come from the county’s capital allocation rather than the bond. The committee asked administration and facilities staff to return with concrete recommendations on early vacating of Building C and on options for swing space, including estimated costs and timelines.
Why it matters: Moving major IT and elections infrastructure and vacating Building C are prerequisites to demolition and construction work; moves will affect operations across county departments and may require temporary leases, renovations and capital dollars.
Next steps: administration and facilities staff will deliver options that lay out early vacate scenarios, timelines for temporary relocations and cost estimates so the committee and legislature can decide how to fund and sequence relocations.
