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Architects report Juvenile Center design remains on $14 million target as construction documents begin
Summary
Architects Alliance told the Cole County Commission the juvenile detention and residential facility design has moved into design development with construction documents due in November and bid packages expected late year; the $14 million target remains unchanged after reductions to nonsecure program space and site adjustments.
Architects Alliance presented a design-development update on the Cole County Juvenile Center, telling the Cole County Commission that the project remains on target for a $14,000,000 budget and will move into the construction-document phase this fall.
The firm said the design-development (DD) set compiles decisions made since schematic design and reflects reductions made to meet the $14 million target. Architects described changes including reduced square footage in nonsecure program spaces, a smaller gym/conditioning area, revised parking and site grading that lowered building elevations by roughly five feet, and a reworked roof and structural approach to simplify constructability.
Architects Alliance's presenter (Architects Alliance presenter) said, “As of now, we are still on target for the 14,000,000. We don't see any wiring issues now.” The team said the DD set includes architecture, structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical and specialty consultants (food service, security, IT, video surveillance), and that it separates the facility into secure detention areas and nonsecure respite/administration areas.
Why it matters: the juvenile center will contain both detention and residential units with specialized security, mechanical and fire-protection systems. Changes to square footage and site work directly affect construction costs and bidding; the architect team said the adjustments reduced earthwork and grading costs and preserved secure-area footprints the county identified as critical.
Plans and schedule details: the architects said they will continue three coordination meetings with county staff to finalize security controls, exterior and interior finishes, and other systems. The team anticipates submitting the first construction-document (CD) package in November and handing signed documents to the county's construction manager to permit hard-bid solicitation. The firm described a five-week subcontractor bid period after CD issuance, with bid evaluation and a possible guaranteed maximum price (GMP) near the end of the year and potential mobilization in January; the team said substantial site start might wait until March depending on winter weather. The architect noted some long-lead items (steel, rebar) may be ordered earlier.
Design trade-offs and options: to keep costs down, the architects said they minimized masonry where possible in favor of metal panel and consolidated roof elevations. They described an exercise to avoid reducing square footage in “tight quarter” secure areas, trimming instead in admin and respite spaces to preserve security integrity. The team also reported pricing exercise results for HVAC redundancy: splitting a large rooftop unit into two smaller units would add about $49,000; architects said the county could treat that as a potential alternate during bidding.
Security and constructability: the presentation covered secure-door schedules, access-control coordination with the security consultant (LATAtech), and planned camera-by-camera reviews with staff. Architects said they avoided exterior masonry detailing that could create hand- or footholds in secure areas.
Costs and alternates: the architects discouraged a long list of alternates, recommending a limited set (three or fewer) so bidders can provide competitive pricing. They said value-engineering options and a prioritized alternate list will be discussed in upcoming coordination meetings if the bid results require adjustments.
Commission discussion: commissioners and staff asked about sally port door dimensions and clearance for emergency vehicles and evacuation contingencies; the architect agreed to confirm door sizes and sally-port lengths. Commissioners also discussed buffer distance to neighboring residences and the project's placement on a larger-than-required site (over 7 acres), which architects said provides room for detention basins and preserves vegetation buffers.
Next steps: the architects will continue coordination meetings, provide a 50% CD submission later this fall, and return to the commission with progress updates and finish-selection materials. They said they can present interim updates if substantial changes arise before the next milestone.
