Cindy McCleary, an architect with Leedy Daley (spelled in transcript as "Leeway Daily"), and project manager Isaac Carly presented the Government Center predesign for Phase 1 of the county's master space plan. The plan would renovate the existing 602 building (heavy remodel), do a light remodel of 604 basement space, and build a new office building roughly 95,000 square feet in size at the current campus footprint.

The consultants said they used an outside cost estimator and current market data to arrive at a construction cost of about $65.3 million and total project projections of roughly $81.7 million in 2028 dollars after adding soft costs (design, furniture, technology, move management) and contingencies. Line items included $52 million for new construction, $6.6 million for a heavy renovation of 602, $1.9 million for lower‑level work in 604, $2.2 million for site development (anticipating groundwater/site and stormwater unknowns), about $5.2 million for furniture and $3.9 million for technology, plus owner move costs.

Design and schedule notes: consultants recommended a single bid package (demolition plus new construction) and suggested selecting a construction manager at risk at or near the start of design to provide cost‑estimation input. The rough schedule shows demolition of 606/601 in 2027 and new building construction beginning in January 2028, with multiple off‑ramps where the board can pause before bid advertisement.

The board discussed logistics — where staff would work during construction — and whether to phase the work or consolidate it to capture savings. Several commissioners favored doing the project sooner rather than later to avoid construction‑cost escalation, while others stressed the need to identify temporary workspace and to continue public engagement with neighboring jurisdictions and the city of Chaska about setbacks (Courthouse Lake) and site impacts.

No binding decision was made; staff and consultants will refine estimates, run staging vs. single‑package cost comparisons, and continue community engagement before returning with a final recommendation.