BCA presents $3.16 million plan to separate public and staff circulation, add secure vestibule at DSS building

BCA Architects and Engineers told the Jefferson County Health & Human Services committee they completed a program/feasibility study for the Department of Social Services building across the street from the Human Services complex and recommended a modest addition to address circulation, security and accessibility issues.

Ariel Snyder, project manager and architect, and Cooper Myers, architectural designer, said the existing facility mixes staff and public circulation, has undersized consultation and visitation spaces, non‑ADA restrooms and a failing sanitary line. Their preferred option would add a secure public vestibule with screening, centralized security with visual access to waiting and interview spaces, separated staff entrances, eight consultation rooms (two family sized), four larger visitation rooms, an ADA restroom configured to permit drug testing, a health services room, and a dedicated interview room. The proposal also aims to make the public entrance more visible from the parking area.

BCA provided a designer’s point estimate of $3,160,000. Their schedule anticipates completing construction documents by February, beginning bidding and negotiation in March and starting construction in April with an approximately one‑year build; the presentation projected project completion in 2027. Committee members had no substantive questions during the presentation; the legislature later moved an authorizing resolution for professional design services with BCA (see "Votes at a glance").

The presentation noted market volatility in construction costs and cited input from a construction estimator; BCA also contracted Paradigm Environmental Services to assess hazardous materials as part of the study. BCA emphasized the proposal was a starting point for further design, not a final plan.