Committee approves 30-day extension, hears updated BOA building renovation cost and schedule

Rutherford County's Budget, Finance and Investment Committee voted May 7 to extend the county's option to purchase the BOA building for 30 days and deposit $100,000 while staff completes final pricing and subcontractor input. The committee approved the motion on a roll call vote with all members recorded as voting yes.

Bart Klein of Klein Swinny Associates, joined by Derek Martin of American Constructors, said the team has completed schematic design and is refining pricing with subcontractors. They described a 32,000-square-foot three-floor renovation that would consolidate planning, engineering, elections, codes and finance into the BOA building and add roughly 4,500 square feet of canopy/porch. Klein said the building currently shows roughly 108 parking spaces (45 on-street, the balance on-site) and that staff are negotiating shared-use arrangements with First Baptist and the Spence estate for some ingress and evening/weekend parking.

Klein and Martin identified several renovation tasks that will affect cost: removal and replacement of exterior stone panels where the substrate is deteriorated; replacement and modernization of the back elevator; removal and rebuild of interior ductwork and walls on the second and third floors; and optional additional glazing to increase daylighting. They said the structural frame is concrete and expected to outlast a comparable new steel-framed build, which supports renovation as a fiscally conservative option.

On price, Klein presented a renovation/purchase range of roughly $18.7 million to $19.7 million, which includes added contingency and additional furniture/equipment allowances that were not in earlier exploratory estimates. He said team contingencies total around $900,000 and that reducing optional glass could save approximately $300,000. Klein summarized: "If you're wanting to solve the issues of providing a new facility for the different departments, renovating versus building new is still a 5 to 7 million dollar savings." (Bart Klein)

Commissioners asked about modularity and longevity, alternatives such as demolishing the Goldstein building and rebuilding on the courthouse site, and the risk of additional hidden costs. Klein said the building's existing column grid and perimeter walls make internal layout changes affordable and noted that the team had completed destructive demolition in some places to verify conditions. American Constructors reported they were already pricing with multiple envelope and finish options and that updated subcontractor pricing should come back in three weeks.

Finance staff told commissioners that about $12.89 million is already allocated to the project and that an additional $6–7 million may be required depending on final bids; at that level they did not anticipate borrowing additional funds for the project. Final approval to purchase is expected before the full commission on June 3.

The committee approved the 30-day option-extension motion and the additional $100,000 deposit on a unanimous roll call. The item will return to the full commission for a purchase decision and final appropriation if the commission elects to proceed.