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Elkhart County Council amends and approves $1.2M for historic courthouse window restoration
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Summary
After discussing bid amounts and contingency needs, the council amended an initial request and approved $1.2 million to replace and restore historic courthouse windows, including cleaning and reinstalling stained‑glass sashes; work is slated to begin in July.
The Elkhart County Council on April 16 approved $1.2 million from the general fund to restore and replace historic windows at the county courthouse, with work expected to start in July and conclude by the end of the year.
County Administrator Jeff Taylor told the council commissioners had obtained bids for the project and that the engineer’s estimate had been about $2.5 million. "The low bidder was $1,063,000," Taylor said, and he initially requested an appropriation of $1,100,000 to allow a small contingency. Taylor said the contract award and supplier are local, while the manufacturer is Andersen.
Several council members urged a larger contingency. One council member proposed increasing the appropriation to $1,200,000 to provide a cushion for unforeseen conditions in the historic structure; the amendment carried. The project will replace like‑for‑like windows, improve energy efficiency and include cleaning and reinstalling round, stained‑glass sashes that had previously been removed.
Taylor said the project includes work on every courthouse window, including those toward the bell tower, and that some windows on the old Circuit Courtroom will be refurbished and reinstalled over clear protective glass. He told the council the contractor had recommended against purchasing a $13,454 tint alternate because the low‑E windows should provide the necessary efficiency.
Council members asked about contingency planning and whether the administration would return with adjustments if additional work were required; Taylor said he would come back to request more funds if unforeseen conditions exceeded the appropriation. The appropriation passed 7‑0.
The administration said the contractor would start in July and aim to complete the work before the end of the year. The council did not set any additional conditions on the award beyond the appropriation being in place.
(Reporting based on council meeting transcript.)
