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County staff outline space-needs study with options ranging from additions to buying new building
Summary
County staff presented a space-needs study from architects that identified priorities including the courthouse, sheriff's department and HHS; options ranged from doing nothing to building additions or acquiring a new building, with cost and historic-registry constraints noted.
County staff presented findings from a space-needs study that assessed facilities countywide and laid out options including building additions, acquiring another building, or reorganizing department locations.
The study, conducted by hired architects, prioritized the courthouse building and the sheriff's department as having the most urgent space shortages, staff told the Public Property and Law Enforcement Committee. Health and Human Services (HHS), zoning, and child-support offices were also flagged for space needs; staff said child support must remain near court operations.
Staff described multiple options considered by the architects: phased additions where feasible (HHS was noted as having space to expand), building additions at the sheriff's department (with tradeoffs such as losing a parking area), construction of a new building to consolidate departments, or buying an existing building and relocating multiple departments there.
The report noted constraints specific to the county courthouse: it sits on a historic registry, making an addition impractical and potentially costly. Staff said building a modern jail can be expensive, citing an offhand figure that "the cost to build a jail these days is, like, $4,000 a square foot," and said the new HVAC installed for the building was designed to accommodate future additional square footage.
Committee members discussed whether a nearby campus (referred to in the record as Northland College campus) could factor into future planning; staff said parts of that campus will go up for sale and the county is in talks to purchase certain peripheral properties with an intent to hold them temporarily for transfer to the Department of Natural Resources for fisheries preservation.
Staff emphasized the study provided multiple combinations and scenarios so the county can decide whether to "do nothing," add on to existing buildings, or acquire separate space and reorganize departments. The committee had no formal vote on the space-needs study during the meeting; staff said next steps include further study and obtaining drawings and photos of a building the county is considering.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about which departments would move and about potential costs and timelines; staff said additional analysis and negotiations would be required before any acquisition or construction decision.
The committee will continue to consider options and will rely on architects'generated drawings and cost estimates to evaluate whether to pursue additions, a new campus, or a purchase and reorganization. No formal action was taken on the study at the meeting.
