Architects present scaled‑down $50M ‘Center of Government’; county officials outline schedule and parking concerns

Holt Architects presented a revised design for the Tompkins County Center of Government on June 16, describing a value‑engineered 45,000‑square‑foot building at an estimated $50 million and a project schedule aimed at issuing bid documents by the end of October. The redesign removes county administration and human‑resources offices from the new building (relocating them to the old jail), leases workforce development space, and reduces amenity and hoteling space to hit the cost target.

The project team emphasized sustainability features: an all‑electric building, low‑embodied‑carbon materials, bike lockers and showers, EV chargers for county fleet, bird‑friendly glazing and an enabling component to link the site to a potential future district geothermal system. "The program change is what solved the entire problem," the project presenter said, explaining that moving large program pieces out of the new building allowed the reduced footprint while preserving core functions.

Legislators pressed the team on parking, accessibility for front‑facing departments, and how departments will be assigned to the new building. The architect noted on‑site parking would fall from about 104 to 93 spaces and described flexible interior planning so departmental placement can change over time. County Administrator Corso Compey acknowledged outstanding operational decisions and said department placement would be finalized via administrative process rather than by the legislature.

Project schedule notes included a goal to complete contract documents and put the project to bid by the end of October, with potential award by year‑end or early January and construction following thereafter. The architects cautioned that each month of delay could add significant escalation costs to the contract estimate.