The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners approved an $18,000 budget Tuesday for the renovation of the Alachua County Administrative Building.
The $18,000 budget will cover preconstruction costs, including the design for the first, and part of the second, floor. The construction will be done by BBI Construction Management, Inc.
In 2002, a study focusing on how to use and locate government property was conducted, and the Downtown Master Plan was approved. This plan involves construction of several buildings, such as the civil and criminal courthouses. The renovation for the administrative building complies with the original master plan, county records show.
“I think there are just some exceptional benefits to this renovation,” County Manager Lee Niblock said.
Charlie R. Jackson, facilities director for Alachua County, gave the presentation and laid out the process of construction for the commissioners.
Construction will occur in two phases. In phase 1, BBI Construction will work on the second floor of the building. Renovations will include the new county manager’s space, Public Information Office, County Attorney’s offices and offices for the Board of County Commissioners.
Jackson said the final cost of renovations on the second floor should not exceed $175,000.
The managers joked about who among them would get one of the three new county manager’s offices.
“Being the one that’s been here the least, if you’d like me to move, I’m happy to move,” County Commissioner Ken Cornell said.
County commissioner Robert Hutchinson posed a question to county manager Niblock.
“So Mr. Manager, how are you going to sort out which manager gets which office?” Hutchinson said. “Because that’s a job you cannot win.”
“It’ll all be figured out during my evaluation this December,” Niblock jokingly said.
Once about 60 percent of construction is completed on the second floor during phase 1, the Board of County Commissioners will be presented with the guaranteed maximum price of construction that will need to be approved for phase 2, Jackson said.
Phase 2 includes the renovation of the first floor, as well as the remaining parts of the second floor of the Alachua County Administrative Building.
The construction for Phase 1 will begin in as early as two weeks and will take about six months to complete.