Bids were opened Tuesday for the old courthouse heating and cooling system replacement. The six bids proved the project is going to be very costly for the county and before it’s over could reach way over a quarter of a million dollars. The lowest bid came in at $284,975 with the highest coming in at $459,400. These numbers; however, do not include all associated costs. Magistrates will have to weed through the bids and decided what to replace.

The very old heating and cooling system fell victim to a courthouse renovation project that began soon after the new justice center was built and most moved out. During the renovation a portion of the piping was cut into, which prompted a visit from the state’s boiler inspector who said the system was not up to state standards and must be replaced. The two pipe “water system” is run off two 30 year old boilers and a 10-year-old chiller. The two boilers and one chiller do not have to be replaced at this time. The main cost is for replacing the pipes throughout the building as well as radiators and other related items.

The county was told by the state boiler inspector that the system had to be replaced but the county could wait till spring. The system’s piping was found to be corroded, which wasn’t a surprise to fiscal court due to the excessive leaking through the ceiling that had been happening for some time.

There were several variations in the six bids, which will now be looked over by an architect and engineer, as well as the court itself before any decision is made.

The court did agree to put in the same system that they are replacing because it has been very economical and because they had to spend $30,000 up front to get the system back on-line for the winter months, which would have been lost if they had chosen another system to put in.

Magistrates never imagined costs for the courthouse renovation would climb to such heights when they started the project. It was their desire to repaint some areas, install new carpet, remodel the downstairs restrooms and throw up a few walls. Magistrates wanted to update the courthouse for as little cost as possible to make the space more desirable for future tenants.

When the Justice Center was complete and the judicial branches moved out of the old courthouse, leaving the Judge/Executive’s offices, so did the Administrative Office of the Court (AOC) funds that were allotted to the county to pay for the upkeep of the courthouse. This left the county with the responsibility of maintenance on the historic structure, which they are attempting to offset by brining in tenants. So far the county attorney’s office, the child support division and the HVAC inspector are all renting space there.

Recent activity in the area of prospective tenants involves the Logan County Tourism Commission who has shown interest in space. At Tuesday’s fiscal court meeting, magistrates agreed to invite the commission to set up shop there for $500 per month.

The renovation project may not have turned out the way the county had wanted, but at least those who reside there now and in the future can be assured of a warm or cool place to do business.