Courthouse renovation on schedule
The Lassen County Courthouse Renovation Project is on schedule, county staff told the supervisors during an early February meeting.
“Architectural and engineering plans and specifications for demolition are in the final stages of completion, including plan check. County staff will release the demolition bidding package for formal and competitive bidding as early as March 1. Bid solicitation may run for approximately six to eight weeks,” according to Country Administrative Officer Richard Egan’s letter to the supervisors.
“The demolition-bidding package will seek formal sealed proposals from contractors to remove hazardous materials, deconstruction/protection of historic features, and demolition of non-historically significant interior walls. Protection of the historic courtroom, lobby, stairways, and hallways is paramount; the plans and specifications provide for specific temporary protection of the interior features during demolition. The work is estimated to take approximately four months to complete; beginning with removal of hazardous materials and protection of historic features.”
Last summer, with a push from then Assemblyman, now State Senator Brian Dahle, the county was notified it would receive about $8.45 million through legislative specified funding through the California Natural Resources Agency.
With these funds, which can only be spent on the courthouse square remodel, the county is to bring the courthouse and annex up to code and reinforce the building for more years of use.
The county has been working to upgrade the more than 100-year-old structure for a few years. While county staff is unsure of how far the funds can go with the renovation, it has a five-phase plan.
Currently, the first phase, phase 0, involved moving all the departments housed in the building to either the annex just behind the courthouse or other locations.