Cole County architects, commissioners debate size and cost of proposed juvenile center; $14M target remains under review

County officials and the commission’s architects discussed March 25 efforts to trim a proposed Cole County Juvenile Center design so it meets a previously set construction target of $14 million, while commissioners raised questions about operating costs and whether fewer secure cells would better match current demand.

Curtis with Architects Alliance (first name given in the record as Curtis) told commissioners the design team has reworked the plan to fit the $14,000,000 construction target by reducing square footage and eliminating many exterior bump‑outs. He said Bartlett West revised the site work and “is saving us some considerable site costs,” and that Mapholz (the pre‑construction firm identified in the record) was preparing an updated cost estimate.

Curtis summarized known line‑item project costs and fees: design team fees already under contract (discussed in the meeting as…