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Franklin County fiscal court awards courthouse design contract to sole bidder amid questions over competition
Summary
The Franklin County Fiscal Court on Dec. 3 approved awarding architectural services for the county courthouse rebuild to sole respondent JRA Architects, while magistrates raised concerns about receiving only one bid and long grant holding requirements tied to property arrangements.
FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Franklin County Fiscal Court voted Dec. 3 to award architectural services for the county courthouse recovery project to JRA Architects, the single respondent to the county’s request for qualifications. The decision came after staff from ER Assist presented the procurement results and recommended the court move forward while noting the Administrative Office of the Courts must still approve the firm.
Erin of ER Assist, who managed the procurement and reviewed applications, told the court the selection committee — which included Tina Peck, Autumn Gooderweiss and maintenance director Greg Fry — scored and recommended JRA based on qualifications and its existing master agreement with the state. “They did recommend that the court approve the bid or first,” Erin said during the presentation.
Magistrates raised several concerns before the vote. One member asked whether the county had missed potential respondents after noting a discrepancy in published response deadlines; another questioned the prudence of accepting a nearly $3 million contract when only one firm responded. Court members also discussed features of the proposed scope, including work to address known flood vulnerabilities to the courthouse and potential upgrades tied to FEMA-funded restoration.
Separately, a magistrate flagged a related grant term that appeared to impose an unusually long holding period on property (described in the packet as 75 years), and asked staff to investigate whether other ownership or transfer arrangements might avoid lengthy federal reporting obligations.
Judge and staff said the project remains subject to external approvals and grant rules. Erin said JRA has experience working under the state master agreement and with FEMA-related projects, and that switching vendors now could add time and expense. The court voted to award the bid to JRA Architects; the award will move to the Administrative Office of the Courts for final review and approval.
Next steps: the county will work with JRA and required state reviewers to finalize scope, address the flood-mitigation components and confirm grant conditions tied to property and retention terms.
