The Daviess County Courthouse is nearing 100 years old. The iconic courthouse, which is a registered historic building, is in need of major maintenance and updates. The Daviess County Courthouse has an immediate need for updates to the wiring, plumbing, and HVAC system. There is also a need to replace the century-old windows and the roof, which are original to the building. In addition, the county has moved from needing one courtroom in 1927 to two courts today, with a likelihood of a third court being added in the near future. The county has set a $12 million budget for the renovation. However, when bids were opened last week, the cost of the project sat at $13,810,000—$1.8 million over the county’s self-imposed cap.
At a special joint meeting Friday morning, the county commissioners and members of the county council discussed their options. Representatives from RQAW reported that the needed maintenance projects would cost approximately $8 million and would have to be done one way or another. Other options are to reduce the scope of the project, pushing needed renovations into the future when prices most likely will be higher. Rebidding the project in hopes of getting a lower bid But that seems unlikely since the county only received one bid, with two prospective bidders deciding not to bid for the project.
A poll of the commissioners and council members at the meeting found most present did not favor rebidding the project. There was also some concern that delaying the project could result in higher costs in the future. With so much of the project focused on necessary maintenance, the general consensus was to try to keep as close to the $12 million cap as possible but to look for additional funding options within the current county budget and funding sources. Commissioner Ron Arnold suggested looking at economic development funds to make up the shortfall. The council members and commissioners asked RQAW to set up a review meeting with the contractor to determine ways to trim costs. Commissioners President Nathan Gabhart and Council President Tony Duncheon will sit in on the discussion. A report will be made at the next commissioner’s meeting. The county has 60 days from receipt of the bids to determine how to proceed.
