WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
After a series of false starts over the past eight years, it appears St. Joseph County officials are finally committed to moving forward with two major building projects.
During their executive committee meeting Tuesday, commissioners received an update on plans to refurbish the former Three Rivers Public Library to accommodate the county’s Friend of the Court and its Probate/Family Court, which will both move from the courthouse basement. The second update focused on a long-awaited renovation of the 48-year-old courts building.
The planned overhaul of the former library could cost as much as $6.7 million, while project officials for the courts building renovation estimated its cost at $7.7 million.
The county over the summer purchased the former library from the city of Three Rivers for $175,000. Eckert Wordell’s Curt Penny said the task ahead will include remodeling 20,000-square-feet while leaving another 2,000-square-feet available for future needs.
TowerPinkster’s Shawn Parshall told commissioners a vacant basement will free up more than 12,000-square-feet, likely used for swing space during renovation.
A preliminary timeline shows the library project would go out to bid in March. Construction would take an estimated eight months, with completion anticipated by the end of 2023.
Bids for the courts building renovation would be let in late 2023 or early 2024, followed by a four-phase construction period spanning two years. Projected completion would be toward the end of 2025.
