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Board approves doubling authorized architectural funds for courthouse remodel to finish design work
Summary
Kankakee County approved increasing authorization for Cole Jarvis architectural services from $300,000 to $600,000 (paid from a $6 million state grant) to complete courthouse remodel design and keep projects on schedule, and separately authorized related architect work for county building bids.
The Kankakee County Board voted May 12 to increase its authorized expenditure for architectural services related to the courthouse remodel from $300,000 to $600,000, drawing from an existing $6 million state grant to finalize plans and expedite construction bidding.
County staff told the board that $298,776.96 has been spent to date and estimated remaining anticipated expenditures at roughly $528,776.29; the additional authority is requested as a contingency to carry the project to completion without schedule slippage. The board approved the increase by roll call.
Separately, the board authorized an amendment agreement with architect Cole Jarvis to prepare scopes of work and bid specifications for county building projects tied to storm recovery. Staff said using Jarvis for design and bidding work is more cost‑efficient than hiring separate construction management services and will help the county “beat everybody else” in the bid cycle so contractors can begin repairs promptly.
Board members noted a strong pre‑bid turnout for the courthouse project; staff reported 31 contractors attended a recent walkthrough and the bid opening is scheduled for the finance meeting later this month. The authorization is limited to architectural services funded from the state grant; the board did not appropriate additional county general funds during the meeting.
Next steps include finalizing bid documents, opening construction bids at the finance meeting, and returning to the board for contract awards as required by procurement rules.
