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Architects shrink Tompkins County's Center of Government to 45,000 sq ft but keep $50M estimate; workforce development to be leased
Summary
Holt Architects presented a reprogrammed 45,000-square-foot Center of Government design to the Tompkins County Legislature and kept the project estimate near $50 million by moving some departments (county administration, HR) into the old jail and placing workforce development in leased space; legislators raised questions about parking, accessibility for front-facing services, and geothermal plans.
County architects returned to the Tompkins County Legislature on June 16 with a redesigned Center of Government (COG) that reduces enclosed area to approximately 45,000 square feet while retaining a project cost estimate near $50 million.
Holt Architects explained the principal programmatic change that drove the size reduction: several large programs that had been planned inside the new building will be relocated. County administration and human resources are proposed to move into the old jail; planning, sustainability, and some legislative offices will be located in the existing Tompkins County building; and workforce development will leave county-owned space and instead occupy leased space. Holt said those reassignments allow the architectural team to preserve amenity spaces and sustainability features while producing a smaller new building footprint.
Architects and county staff emphasized project sustainability goals: the COG is proposed as an all-electric wood-structured building with EV chargers, bird-friendly glazing, low-emission finishes, and an enabling budget element to accommodate a future district geothermal system. The team described an open-loop well strategy (two wells: supply and return) that fits local geology and located proposed well sites within the project area; presenters said more technical details will be discussed at the Facilities & Infrastructure committee.
Legislators pressed architects and county administration on several operational questions. Parking on-site is projected to decline modestly (from about 104 to roughly 93 spaces), and some legislators expressed concern that moving front-facing services (for example, County Assessment or CoFA) away from the most accessible building might make visits harder for seniors and other constituents. County staff said department placement is a programmatic decision being finalized later in the schedule and noted the building was designed for operational flexibility, including shared "hoteling" offices and stacked public waiting areas.
Architects said the project schedule remains on a path to issue contract documents and bid the work in the fall. They warned that delays could materially increase costs due to ongoing construction escalation (they estimated roughly $200,000 of escalation per month on a $50 million project). The Legislature signaled ongoing interest in balancing accessibility, parking, and budget discipline as the project proceeds to final design and bidding.
