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IOWA CITY – In August 2019, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors hired OPN Architects to conduct a space needs study for the County Administration Building and the Health and Human Services Building, both located on S. Dubuque Street in Iowa City.

Johnson County residents visit the administration building for services such as registering a vehicle or obtaining a marriage license.

Discussions about renovating the administration building had been ongoing since 2017, but no renovations were carried out. After completing the space requirements study, OPN began planning modernization measures for the district administration campus.

The original estimated cost for the project was about $15 million in January 2020. But just two years later, in May 2022, the estimated cost rose more than 85 percent to $27.9 million after a redesign that expanded the scope. The county couldn’t afford that without raising taxes or using reserves.

County officials, however, insisted the project was necessary for both county employees and residents who use the government services offered on campus. The renovations were designed to prepare staff in the event of another pandemic or epidemic and to increase the safety of county employees and the public. Planned renovations included an updated HVAC system, sprinkler system and security improvements, among others.

In December 2022, the county asked OPN to scale back the project to reduce costs.

With the final cost still uncertain, county supervisors hinted at breaking the project into phases. The county insisted on keeping an “aggressive” timeline for completion in late 2024 so as not to disrupt the auditor’s office’s work more than necessary during election season.

OPN estimated that the first phase would cost about $6.5 million, a cost the county had already budgeted for, and would solve many of the problems the public-facing offices were struggling with.

What has happened since then?

OPN Architects presented a revised plan to supervisors in March 2023 that cost approximately $11 million and could be reduced to $9 million with additional project cuts. Later, in May 2023, OPN presented the board with an updated plan with an estimated cost of $10.2 million.

But after the county put the project out to bid, it agreed with McComas-Lacina Construction to do the entire project for $7.3 million.

The project is being funded with a combination of American Rescue Plan Act funds and the county’s general fund. No taxes were levied to cover the cost of the project.

The project includes HVAC system upgrades, fire protection measures, elevator upgrades, and additional emergency upgrades. Individual restrooms will also be added.

The project started in August 2023 and will be completed in three phases:

Phase 0 (August to October 2023): Preparation of the third floor of the Health and Human Services Building. The third floor was used as a “fallback area” to accommodate departments during the construction of the administration building.

Phase 1 (November 2023 to July 2024): During construction of the administration building, county services were temporarily relocated to the Department of Health and Social Services building.

Phase 2 (August 2024 to January 2025): Renovation work on the third floor of the Health and Social Services Building will be completed. This work also includes the modernization of the Supervisory Board meeting room.

During Phase 1, the Administration Building was closed and departments were relocated to the Health and Human Services Building. Over the course of this month, county services will gradually move back into the renovated Administration Building.

The Treasurer’s Office will remain open at its current location on the third floor of the Health and Human Services Building until noon on August 23. On August 26, the office will move to its new location on the first floor of the Administration Building.

The Finance Department will also open on August 26 on the first floor of the Administration Building.

Other services will gradually be relocated back to the administration building. Specific dates for this have yet to be announced.

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