County to hire consultant for courthouse project

Cape Girardeau County commissioners plan to hire a consultant to assist them in choosing a design-build team for construction of a new courthouse in Jackson.

The commission voted Monday to begin the process to find a consultant who will help determine the scope of the project and design criteria and advise the commissioners on selection of a design-build team.

Second District Associate Commissioner Charles Herbst said commissioners concluded they need the help of a design consultant because they don’t have administrative staff who could handle the initial planning.

Herbst said Cape Girardeau city government has staff members to help with initial planning for design-build projects there.

“We are lean and mean over here,” he said.

First District Associate Commissioner Paul Koeper said the design-build concept seems to have worked well for Cape Girardeau. The city is building both a new fire station and a new police station using a design-build process, which involves an architect and builder team working together.

Koeper said he believes the process could be more cost-effective.

“You hope that it is,” he said.

The commission wants to build a new courthouse that would connect to the sheriff’s office and jail.

“We want a building that we can hold court in,” said Koeper.

Commissioners plan to consolidate court operations in a new courthouse, eliminating the need to hold court and maintain court offices in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

A new courthouse will eliminate having to walk jail inmates across the street for court appearances, improving safety, Koeper said.

Herbst said the new courthouse is expected to include six courtrooms.

The commission also is looking at renovating the existing courthouse in Jackson and the nearby county administration building.

Koeper said it uncertain what will be housed in the old courthouse.

“The public defenders’ office needs a little room,” Koeper said, suggesting it could be moved into the old courthouse.

He suggested moving the prosecuting attorney’s office into the new courthouse.

The large, upstairs courtroom in the old courthouse could be turned into a museum dealing with history of the nation’s wars, Koeper said.

Some of the courtroom space also could be converted into office space, he said.

Herbst said the entire project could cost $15 million to $20 million. It would be funded with municipal bonds that be retired with county use-tax revenue.

The use tax generates over $900,000 a year, county officials said.

Herbst and Koeper said it is unclear what would be housed in a new courthouse besides the court operation.

“I think it would probably have to be multistory,” Herbst said of a new courthouse.

“We don’t have anything on paper yet,” Herbst said, adding it probably will take the rest of this year to finalize plans.

The next step is to seek proposals for a consultant, Herbst said. Construction could begin as early as next spring and take two years to complete, he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641