Federal courthouse repairs to start in March

Additional work on the new federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau should begin the first week of March, and the building may be ready for occupancy by May, more than a year and a half after the originally projected July 2006 opening.

Last month, Congress granted approval for additional spending on contracts needed to complete the roof, lighting and hardware replacements, said Charlie Cook, spokesman for the federal General Services Administration.

The request was submitted last fall, first to the Office of Management and Budget. Then Congress had to comply with the request as well.

Now, contract negotiations are taking place for the remaining work, to the tune of an additional $2.263 million in design and construction to be spent on the courthouse, a project whose cost rose more than $12 million above the original $50 million estimate.

"Our target date is May to start moving agencies in," Cook said.

However, inclement weather may present an obstacle in completing the work in time to meet that projected date, he said.

Other obstacles and delays in the completion of the 154,000-square-foot courthouse have included replacing the original contractor, the need to make structural steel changes in 2004 when steel prices rose, problems with bedrock conditions requiring additional foundation piers and separating the contract into shell construction work and tenant finishing work.

The courthouse project began in 2002.

The first construction contract was awarded in March 2003.

During inspections and reviews in late summer 2007, new problems stemming from defects and omissions in the original design documents forced the additional contract work.

Among the problems were insufficient lighting, inefficient cooling in a computer room, a damaged elevator and insufficient door locks associated with the security system.

ADT Security will be making the improvements to the security system, and the contractual negotiations for the additional wiring and lighting work are near completion, Cook said.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245