Burke County recommends Holland & Ham to design major Health & Human Services renovation

Burke County officials told commissioners on June 2 that they plan a large, phased renovation of the county’s Health & Human Services (HHS) building and are recommending Holland & Ham for design and engineering services.

The recommendation, presented by County Manager Brian, follows a months‑long RFQ and finalist interview process. Brian said the project is intended as an adaptive reuse of the existing HHS structure rather than new construction, noting the building currently houses about 250 employees and that “we feel confident in doing some internal space analysis that that can be phased and as the demand is incurred the building can be adapted.”

Why it matters: county leaders said the project addresses longstanding space inefficiencies across public health and social services, aims to reduce duplicative office square footage and to plan for long‑term operations while controlling debt. Manager presentations estimated roughly half of the building costs attributable to social services could be recaptured through an indirect cost model over 15–20 years because of the state relationship that funds some DSS functions.

Scope and schedule: staff described a planning period of approximately six to eight months, with construction phases that account for daily operations and client traffic. The county estimated the full renovation could stretch into 2027, with a target completion near Dec. 31, 2027, depending on phasing and contractor scheduling. Brian told the board the project will likely be delivered under a single‑prime (low‑bid) contract to improve competition and pricing.

Procurement and firm selection: staff ran a two‑round RFQ process that narrowed five submissions to two finalists; Holland & Ham outscored an Asheville‑area finalist in the final presentations. The evaluation team favored Holland & Ham’s demonstrated experience with clinical and public‑health space and in‑house construction administration. Brian said the county will still negotiate terms and route the contract to county‑attorney review before award.

Commissioners asked about security, staging for programs with school‑age populations who sometimes remain on site overnight, and the timing of the school system’s move from the shared central office. Manager said the school system’s relocation (expected April–June 2026) would free approximately 14,000 sq ft and would not hold up the HHS project’s planning timeline. The manager added that portions of the building used by the school will require less investment than the rest of the structure.

What’s next: staff will bring a contract approval and recommended scope to the board for formal action after legal review and economic negotiations. If approved and funded as planned, the county expects to phase staff moves (including use of temporary Foothills Higher Education Center space) while contractors renovate discrete areas.

Quotes: "We think this is the best model given the concepts that we have," the manager said when describing single‑prime bidding and the selection process. On the adaptive‑reuse approach, he said, "we think this is a take it all out and start over project," describing an interior gut‑and‑rebuild while preserving structural exterior walls.

Next steps: board review and contract negotiations, followed by detailed design, bidding and phased construction scheduling. The county emphasized logistics planning to minimize interruptions to services during renovation.