LaSalle County directs architect to price freestanding hardened shelter and full rebuild options for Leonor highway facility

LaSalle County Highway Department officials on Oct. 12 directed BCA Architects to produce cost estimates for two options to address safety and habitability problems at the Leonor satellite highway facility: (1) a freestanding hardened structure (prefabricated or cast-in-place) that would include office and bathroom space, and (2) a full replacement building. The board approved the motion by voice vote.

The decision follows months of review of an earlier proposal to convert interior space into a hardened shelter. Kurt, an architect with BCA Architects, told the board he needs a program — the list of rooms and approximate areas — to prepare a reliable construction-cost estimate and a short code review. He said a FEMA-rated tornado shelter carries substantially higher cost because it triggers specific code books and requirements that hardened enclosures do not.

Why it matters: members stressed the facility must protect employees who report to Leonor daily and provide basic workplace improvements such…